Gender Bender Naruto, the Series
by kiotsukatanna
Summary: We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1 knuckle-headed kunoichi!
1. Future Hokage at Work

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

Summary: We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckle-headed Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter One: ___Future Hokage at Work_

(Completed: 06-02-09)

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The earth grumbled angrily as the wind whipped across the plain and the neighboring forest. Small animals shook and fled from the strange tension filling the air, hackles and fur raised in terror. The night sky seemed to be unusually dark and ominous despite the full moon that shone brightly from above.

The ninja of the leaf were exhausted and drowning in pain, as chunin, jounin, and ANBU alike sacrificed their lives trying to reign in the fearsome Kyuubi. Hours passed; or was it entire days? The corpses of the dead and dying dotted the fields, and the medical corps scrambled in all directions to find those that still had a chance to live.

The fox was massive, toppling trees as if they were mushrooms and not wooden giants that could crush several men beneath their weight. The monster's demonic chakra flared about it like a burning cloakof dark red fire, causing the creature to seem even more intimidating. Furious snarls echoed from the beast's gaping maw, and every flick from one of its nine tails sent more and more brave and loyal shinobi to their death.

A man watched the massacre, eyes strangely blank within his visage. A small bundle wrapped in a pink hospital blanket rested in the crook of his arm, held securely to his chest and yet gentle enough that one might think something fragile lay within the folds. A sudden gust of air whipped his short locks about his face, almost as if trying to warn him, though the man's expression did not change.

The giant toad beneath him shifted and hopped closer to the demon and their destination. The man tilted his head slightly to stare at one of the amphibian's bulbous yellow eyes. The bright orb watched him, wariness prominent within its gaze, a wariness filled with an underlying pity that somehow seemed out of place upon the great creature's face. The man broke the eye contact and returned his gaze to the fox that steadily grew bigger with each leap the toad took.

By then the terrified ninja fought to keep standing as the amphibian's great bounds shook the earth. Eyes, both frightened and hopeless because of their enduringbattle against the Kyuubi, turned towards the source of the new vibrations, and with one last hop, the large animal emerged into view.

Shock filled the filth-covered faces of the shinobi army, a shock quickly replaced by relief and awe as they realized who had arrived to assist them. With wide, desperate eyes the ninja observed their leader, anxiety and anticipation openly displayed upon theirfeatures.

For one long, desperate moment, every ninja watched with bated breath to see what their Hokage would do.

Only a brief moment more and the man made his move.

Later, when asked, many of the observing nin would have difficulty recalling the blurred events from that point onward. Yet, somehow each and every time three things would be recalled: A blinding flash of white light; the unearthly scream of the dying Kyuubi; and a tiny, wailing newborn cradled in the limp arms of the fallen Fourth, a dark foreboding seal etched around its navel...

oxoxo

**12 Years Later**

oxoxo

"...And as you can see, _that_ is why the Fourth Hokage was one of our greatest and most well-renowned ninja."

Snapping the text book shut, the woman's chocolate-brown eyes scanned the room in an attempt to stare down her students and add to the effect of her words.

_Attempt_ being the key word, of course.

Instead of the intrigued and wide-eyed gazes she had hoped for, bored expressions and glazed eyes met her vision. The woman frowned, placing her hands on her hips. A snore resounded throughout the classroom, and she jerked her head in that direction, her dark-brown ponytail swishing as she did. One thin eyebrow twitched at the sight of one of her students slumped upon their desk, eyes shut and fast asleep.

A snicker echoed from the other side of the room, and the woman gritted her teeth, irritation stirring within her.

"Are _any _of you bothering to listen?..." she inquired testily, knuckles growing white as she clutched the book in her hand more tightly.

The snoozing girl jerked and snorted as a paper wad bounced off her head. However, instead of waking from her slumber, she shifted and moaned lethargically, "So troublesome..."

Giggles and muffled laughter ripped through the air, and with a twitch of her eye and a clench of her fist, the teacher slammed the text in her grasp upon her desk.

"_You little ingrates!_" the woman roared, infuriated by her pupils' inattentiveness and lack of respect. "I am teaching you about the man who saved our lives! If it weren't for him, you wouldn't exist—_Konoha_ wouldn't exist! If not for him, there would be no Hidden Leaf Village, and yet you have no respect whatsoever for the man who _died_ for us!" Her jaw ground together in such a harsh manner that it was a wonder the sound wasn't audible. "You- You- I should-!"

However before the class could find out what exactly their teacher should do, the door to the room snapped open, effectively cutting off the woman's rant.

Surprised and more than a little irritated by the interruption, she turned her head only to meet the eyes of a ninja in the same dress as her: a high-collared green vest, long-sleeved blue shirt with red swirls printed on the upper arm, and black high waters exposing bandaged shins.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she straightened to properly meet the dark-haired nin's gaze. "Hajime-san? What are you doing here?"

Hajime bowed slightly in response. "I am terribly sorry for interrupting your class, Izumi-san, but... well..." He lifted his head to frown at her, ice blue eyes almost-sympathetic. "...She's at it again."

"_**What?**_" Izumi cried immediately, eyes wide with shock. After only a brief moment, she groaned, fingers moving to rub the scar along the bridge of her nose. "Oh no, not now... Why now of all times?" She sighed softly, sparing Hajime a reluctant and self-suffering glance. "Did the Hokage send you?..."

His silence answered her better than any words could. Spreading her fingers, she shifted her hand to cover her whole face. Then, forcing back another groan, she removed the appendage and nodded at the male shinobi, expression stern, though anxiety and exasperation shone within her eyes. "Thank you. I'll take care of it right away."

Izumi gave her class a firm look and a hard "Behave," before quickly heading towards the door.

"Watch them while I'm gone!" the kunoichi called on her way out. Having already left the room, she missed Hajime's half-panicked expression, as well as the odd, wicked grins on the faces of her students.

oxoxo

A faint scream echoed in the distance, causing a small, tan hand to pause in its work. Cerulean blue orbs blinked in surprise as their owner turned briefly in an attempt to investigate the noise. After a short bout of silence, waiting for the cry to repeat, the young girl finally shrugged and returned to her task.

The twelve-year old giggled as she swiped her large brush across the wall before her, adding a splash of orange to her already quite colorful "masterpiece." Her blonde hair, pulled back into high pigtails, tickled the tops of her shoulders, which were bare but for the black tank top that clothed her upper body. Around her waist rest the bright orange jacket she usually wore over her dark tank. The coat's sleeves, red spirals imprinted on the upper arm, were double-knotted to keep it in place.

The blonde grinned broadly, narrowing her eyes and crinkling the whisker marks on her cheeks. The gesture gave her face a mischievous and almost foxy look—something many would find ironic had they seen it. Paint splattered down from the brush she wielded and onto her tan capris, but the girl neither noticed nor cared. Her blue sandals were saved only due to the fact that they lay curled beneath her.

Another giggle escaped the young girl's lips as she slapped her brush against the wall once more, causing again a thick spray of paint to coat her skin and clothes.

Far below, many villagers and a scant shinobi or two had gathered at the base, a strange and hostile aura clouding about them. Dark mutters and bitter words were exchanged as several irritated and brave souls shouted up angrily at the young girl. Oddly enough however, rather than shy away from their negativity and obvious dislike, the blonde instead seemed to enjoy the attention, perhaps even _revel_ in it.

Her grin widened, making her eyes appear as only thin slits as she dropped the brush back into the can of orange with a loud splash.

"Hm…" she mused to herself. "Which color should I use next?" Rather than her usual giggle, a mischievous, if slightly evil cackle escaped the blonde, making her expression seem more than a little impish as she perused her options. Finally deciding on a ghastly shade of neon pink, she continued.

"Just like Seiichi-kun's hair…" she sighed dreamily, waving the brush and splattering paint yet again.

At that same moment, Izumi arrived at the scene, her hair windswept and expression both anxious and tense. Her face visibly fell at the size of the crowd, and she groaned, repressing the urge to rub her temples.

"_Nariko_..." she moaned softly. "What did you do _this_ time?"

Dreading what she might find, the brunette pushed to the fore of the crowd. She snarled at a few of the more obnoxious villagers who pushed back, before freezing when she saw the short figure that stood at the front of the clustered mass, his head tilted upwards and hands clasped behind his back.

Izumi gulped, skin paling an entire shade lighter. '_Oh no... If the Hokage's here...'_

Forcing herself to move, the chunin quickly went to stand beside the Third. "Ho-Hokage-sama..."

The elderly man turned his head to smile at her gently. "Ah, Izumi-san, I see Hajime managed to reach you alright."

"Um, yes, Hokage-sama..." Izumi flushed, embarrassed that she had stuttered. She was, after all, a chunin and a teacher. For goodness sake, she often worked with the man at the Missions desk when she wasn't teaching, so she should have felt perfectly comfortable with him by that point.

Of course, it didn't help that it was _her_ student that was the subject of yet another bout of trouble in the village.

She shook the thought from her mind, returning to the matter at hand, and frowned, eyes darting about nervously. "Where is...?"

However, she paused on hearing a snicker echo from somewhere above them. The woman closed her eyes and bit back another groan. So _that_ was why the Third had been looking up.

_'Please don't let it be too bad...' _Izumi pleaded softly to herself, tilting her head in the direction of the sound, eyes still firmly shut. _'Please, please, please don't let it be too bad...'_

Then, she opened her eyes.

Bright Orange, Blinding Yellow, Neon Pink, Electric Green and Blue... How could her student be immune to the ghastly sight?

It took a moment for the chunin's eyes to adjust, or as much as one could adjust to _that_. Once she was able, Izumi fully opened her eyes, realizing in horror that what she had seen were not just random smears and splashes, but actual designs and words tattooed upon the great wall that surrounded Konoha.

Messages of _Nariko Rules!_ and _Nariko was here! _announced their presence in orange; from yellow came silly faces and aimless doodles that related to nothing in particular; green and blue boldly proclaimed _Future Hokage at Work_ along with a few sloppy swirls and designs; and finally, in that same neon pink but yet to be completed, lay the start of a heart with the initials _NU+SH_ imprinted within.

Izumi could only stare, speechless.

_'Well...' _she mused for a brief moment. _'At least, it's not the Hokage Tower this time...'_

But on spying the Third's amused expression as he observed Nariko's "artwork," she jolted from her stupor.

"Oh, Hokage-sama, I-I had no idea!" Izumi cried, feeling embarrassed, though for reasons more troubling than her stutter. "I'm terribly sorry! I'll take care of it immediately!" She smiled nervously at the man old enough to be her grandfather, before snapping her head upwards, expression set sternly as she fell into what she liked to call _Teacher Mode_.

"_Uzumaki Nariko, _what on earth do you think you're_ doing!_"

The young blonde jumped, startled by the furious voice that echoed up at her. Quickly taking a step back in an instinctive attempt to try and restore her balance, she accidentally bumped the paint cans instead, unleashing their contents upon the unsuspecting crowd below.

Surprised shouts and yells resounded through the area as the villagers clustered below transformed into a multi-colored blob.

Izumi's eye twitched as she clenched her fist, her entire body now coated in a shade very similar to Nariko's jacket. Paint dribbled down from her hair, and she shut her eyes, slowly wiping her brow. She then stood there a moment longer, attempting to restrain herself as she took deep, angry breaths.

When she achieved no progress in calming herself, the brunette gave up and instead growled and roared furiously at the preteen once more. "_**Nariko!**_"

The aforementioned girl turned around slowly to stare wide-eyed at her paint-drenched sensei and she swallowed hard.

"I am _so_ dead," Nariko whimpered, feeling her teacher's enraged and unyielding gaze upon her.

"Nariko!" Izumi shouted once more, features pulled into a dark scowl and eyebrows drawn tightly together. "Get down here _now__!_"

"Ah..." came the blonde's oh-so-intelligent reply, knowing punishment would surely follow if she didn't think up a plan quick. "Um- Um-!" Nariko panicked, mind racing.

Suddenly, an idea struck the young girl.

_'Of course!'_ she grinned, eyes sparkling mischievously as she placed her hands together in a seal. _'Why didn't I think of that sooner!'_

"Nariko..." Izumi warned in a no-nonsense tone. "Don't make me come up there and drag you to class! You know very well that I wi-"

"_Bishounen no jutsu!_" the student in question cried before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

The brunette squinted, attempting to peer through the white cloud her student had disappeared in to catch sight of said student. She opened her mouth to threaten the blonde should she attempt to run off, but her jaw instantly went slack at the image that met her eyes.

Crystal blue eyes, stylishly-messy blond hair, perfectly-tanned skin... It was as if an angel had descended from heaven and now stood above them. His bangs nearly brushed his long lashes, making his eyes seem all that much bluer and brighter within his sculpted features. His lips looked as soft as silk and as if they had been molded by a god. His face was smooth and unmarred and just so... perfect, but for three thin lines that marked each cheek.

_'Those look familiar,'_ Izumi hazily observed, eyes locked on the beautiful, perfect man before her; but she brushed the thought aside in favor of her continued, yet unintentional ogling.

If she had thought his face made him angelic, his body made him sin in physical form. His dark shirt lay casually draped over his right shoulder with one hand, leaving the man's upper body completely exposed. His build was lean and just muscular enough that he was neither too scrawny nor too bulky, his torso hairless and the skin just as smooth as that of his face—or so she assumed. It made her want to run her hands over it just to make sure it was real.

Her gaze fell lower and her mouth grew dry.

Just clinging to his hips by some wonderful and torturous force yet unknown to man hung a pair of black pants that revealed just enough and yet not nearly enough all at once.

It was as if angel and sin had combined into one person to create the god before her.

Izumi felt something trickle from her nose and past her lips, but her hands were balled so tightly to her chest and the warmth in her face so prominent, she couldn't bring herself to wipe the substance away. Perhaps it had something to do with the frantic rhythm her heart had suddenly and desperately taken to pounding out in the past short minute or so, but if the metallic taste that had dripped onto her tongue meant anything, she was quite positive it was blood.

Slowly, the beautiful man turned his head to look at her, expression casually indifferent, and yet, it managed to stop her heart's overdrive instantly, leaving her strangely out of breath.

"Yo," he said, voice like velvet and mysteriously able to produce chills with that single word.

The female chunin heard several thumps behind her as a portion of the women within the crowd fainted. In fact, it took all of the brunette's self-control to keep herself from succumbing as well. She just couldn't shake the faint nagging in her mind that she knew this man from somewhere... It didn't matter though. She could stare at him all day…

Then, she heard a chuckle beside her. Izumi somehow tore her gaze from the beautiful blond to see the Third observing the man as well, but no less amused than he had been before.

"That's a clever trick," the elder said with a smile, "but it only works on the female members of this crowd... Isn't that right, Nariko?"

Izumi froze, her mouth going dry once more, but now for an entirely different reason. Wait a minute...

The currently male Nariko stiffened, eyes darting between the Hokage, whose dark orbs seemed to be laughing, and her sensei, who was slowly beginning to regain her senses.

_'Aw, crap.'_

Without a moment's notice, she released the henge, transforming into the preteen girl of before.

"Hope you enjoyed the show, folks, and make sure to remember this and spread the word!" Nariko shouted, grinning nervously. She began talking faster, anxiously edging along the wall top. "Uzumaki Nariko, Future Hokage strikes again! So... see ya!" she finally cried, before leaping down and taking off into the village.

That was all Izumi needed to finally come to again.

"_**Nariko**__!_" the chunin screamed, face flushed. Immediately, she sprinted after her student, wiping the blood from her nose and lips.

The Sandaime watched them go with a bemused smile. Then, shaking his head, he tugged on the brim of his hat and turned to walk back to the Hokage Tower. He had a lot to get done today and much paperwork to complete. The elder sighed and grimaced lightly at the thought, but his expression turned fond when he glanced in the direction Nariko had taken off in.

_'That girl...'_

He chuckled softly to himself once more before continuing on his way.

oxoxo

The blonde panted hard, running as fast as she could to escape her further enraged sensei. She peeked over her shoulder, only to see the brunette hot on her heels.

"_**Na-ri-ko!**_" Izumi cried out, emphasizing each syllable in her rage. "Get back here!"

"Eep!" Nariko squeaked, pumping her legs harder. "Come on, Izumi-sensei, it was just a _joke!_"

The chunin didn't respond; she only ran faster, teeth bared and nostrils flaring.

Nariko yelped again and sped up her pace. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she bolted towards freedom, the panting sound of her teacher behind her reminding the preteen uncomfortably of a charging ran through the streets of Konoha, Izumi tailing her from roof top to roof top, and the preteen darted through the crowds of people, hoping to lose the brunette amongst them.

_'Come on, come on! _Think!_' __the blonde_ mentally screamed. She took off down a narrow alley way, thoughts racing.

As she frantically turned another corner, Nariko ran several different plans through her mind. '_No, no, no! That won't work! I've done _that _before! Ah! What am I supposed to do? Where can I __go!__ Izumi-sensei knows all my hiding places!' __The orange-clad girl _gnawed her bottom lip nervously. _'Think, think, __think!__' _

She almost halted her sprint as, for not the first time that day, an idea struck her. The whiskered preteen grinned and glanced behind her. Good! Izumi had been startled by a couple of birds that, having been frightened by their chase, had taken off and were now blocking the chunin's vision, at least for a moment.

That moment was all Nariko needed.

Turning her head forward, the blonde spied the very place she was looking for. _'Now's my chance!'_

With a quick burst of speed, the orange-clad girl darted up into the ancient tree growing beside the building. Carefully, she peered through the leaves, watching her teacher continue on in the direction she had originally been headed, appearing not to have noticed her student's quick maneuver. The blonde almost began cheering, but she stopped herself just in time when she recalled she was still in hiding. Waiting a few moments more to be safe, the girl pulled herself up the branches and through the large window that marked her destination.

Nariko dropped down into a crouch, grinning broadly now that she was inside and safe.

"Perfect!" she chirped. "No one would ever have the guts to hide in here!"

By here, she meant the Hokage Tower, within the Sandaime's very own office.

It was spacious but cluttered with a large wooden desk in front of the window from which Nariko had entered. Papers lay scattered across its surface in large piles and a stamp, the Hokage seal imprinted upon it, rest on its side as if the owner had been interrupted from their work.

Nariko smiled brightly as she realized she had been the cause of that.

"Cool..." she murmured to herself as she looked around.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to the large chair that had been pushed back from the desk, again as if someone had been called away suddenly.

Nariko giggled, very pleased with herself. Then, eying the seat curiously, she made her way around it and, feeling bold, sat herself down upon the cushioned chair. She squirmed, making herself comfortable, lips pulled almost as wide as they could go.

"This is gonna be _my_ seat one day," she said to herself once more, blue eyes looking down eagerly. "The old man's gonna have to hand it over to _me_."

Laughing quietly, she kicked her feet aimlessly in an attempt to entertain herself. However, she frowned down at the appendages, which hung several inches from the floor, and the blonde stretched her toes, attempting to touch the ground and, unfortunately, meeting with little success.

The girl stuck out her bottom lip in a pout but blinked as she caught sight of the drawers embedded into the side of the desk. She cocked her head, interest sparking within her cerulean orbs, and reached towards the handle, more than a little annoyed when she had to strain to get a good grasp on it. She growled underneath her breath. Curse her midget-y height! Then, grinning excitedly, she tugged on the drawer.

It didn't move.

Nariko stared at the handle for a moment, fingers still wrapped around it. Narrowing her eyes and slipping from the chair, she gripped the strong strip of metal attached to the wood with both hands. Then, gritting her teeth, she pulled.

It didn't budge an inch.

After a few minutes longer of tugging, groaning, yanking, and hurt fingers, the blonde huffed, releasing the handle, and glared. Stupid drawer; why would they lock it anyway? She sighed, a little disappointed, but kicked it once in annoyance.

It shot open, slamming the unprepared preteen in the gut, and pushed her backwards with a surprised shriek so that she collided hard with the floor beneath her. Nariko moaned, pushing herself up to look at the now-open drawer in disbelief. That was all she had to do? Excitement coursed through her as her curiosity overcame her frustration, and the girl quickly scampered to her feet to look inside eagerly.

A normal desk drawer greeted her, and she blinked in confusion. The interior was relatively empty except for a few stray scraps of paper, a broken ink brush, and a small scroll, just a little longer than her hand and almost as wide around as her forearm. Nariko frowned and picked the scroll up, turning the cylindrical object over. Why would something so plain and insignificant be locked up? It was just a little scroll...

Suddenly, she paused and grinned. Maybe there was something really cool or dangerous written inside, like some super secret jutsu or maybe even a forbidden one!

The blonde-haired girl fingered the edge of the paper, prepared to pull it open and find out, when she heard the door creak, indicating that someone had entered. Panicking, Nariko clumsily shoved the scroll into her back weapons pouch she was suddenly glad she had grabbed and slammed the drawer shut, scrambling for the space beneath the desk.

But before she could claim the area, a hand grabbed her ankle and dragged her back out, bringing her face to face with the furious brown eyes of her paint-splattered teacher.

_'...Crap.'_

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**NOTE:** Now I introduce our first session of Fun Facts! Yay! _**Grins and laughs.**_ This is just a little something I thought up during one of my read overs of the chapters, some time after my completion of Chapter 17. Inspired by the _Avatar Extras_, as seen on _Avatar: The Last Airbender,_ here is where I will make small comments and such, either about the fanfic, this odd Gender Bender AU itself, or perhaps even a note about one of the characters. There will be one for every chapter and it is my hope that you will find them as interesting to read as I found them fun to write. Thus, I will leave you to it and hope to enjoy your continued readership in the future.

oxo

**Fun Facts: **

– At the top of the chapter where it says _(Completed: **-**-**), _that refers to when I first finished writing the chapter. However, I am constantly going back over, re-reading, and editing chapters, so in a sense, they are never really "Complete."

– The title of this chapter was taken from the "_Future Hokage at Work!" _Nariko wrote on the Great Wall. However, it can also encompass this entire story.

– The first member of the Rookie 9 to be mentioned in this chapter is not Nariko, disregarding the baby Nariko at the very beginning.

– I was going to change the _NU+SH_ to _UN+HS_ since I realized it wouldn't fit how I do the names—in the proper Japanese way: surname, first name—but worried that people might not understand my meaning, so I kept it as it was.

– When I first wrote my description of the Bishounen no Jutsu, I was thrilled by it. Now, I can hardly read it because it embarrasses me so that I went so in-detail. I have a feeling many of my male readers will or have skipped over it.

– Nariko paints the Great Wall as a prank because I did not want this to be the same as the original with the Hokage Monument and I, unfortunately, when first starting this story, could think of nothing more creative for Nariko to do than that. I hate that I can't change this chapter now, which I would like to do because I fear it will turn some people away. However, I like the painting at least for the bright pink heart Nariko creates. _**Grins.**_ It's just very like her to do so, as the 12-year-old girl she is.

– Yes, Nariko is so persistent that she will attempt to open a drawer even after discovering it is "locked." _**Laughs.**_

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**Important Notice: **As my Watchers on DeviantART are aware, I have fallen out of the Fandom and am discontinuing my GBNaru series. However, due to popular vote, I am posting what I have of this fanfic for my Watchers, regardless of the fact that I will not be completing it. I thank them all for their support and any readers who are coming across this now.

Who knows, though? Maybe I'll fall in love with Naruto again and come back to this. You never know.


	2. Chaos Abound

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

Summary: We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckle-headed Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 2: _Chaos Abound_

(Completed: 06-05-09)

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"Nariko, you're still in trouble. Dragging your feet isn't going to make a difference."

The blonde glared sulkily at the ground but continued to shuffle along as if she hadn't heard Izumi speak. The chunin frowned back at the girl, tugging lightly but firmly on the length of cord fisted in her palm.

Nariko bobbed forward briefly, the rope that bound her arms and torso tightening, but quickly returned to her earlier position, refusing to make eye contact with the brunette.

Izumi released a frustrated sigh, but her eyes held only exasperation and a touch of worry. "I can't believe you hid in the Hokage's office of all places! What were you thinking? What if he'd found you there?" She shook her head, eyes wide with disbelief. "Nariko, do you know what the council would have done if they'd found out you snuck in there? They could have- They might have-"

Izumi couldn't even bear to think about it. It was no secret that the council disliked Nariko—at least amongst most of the chunin and all of the higher ninja. Not to mention all of the adult villagers. And come to think of it, their daimyo knew as well, and it was only by his grace and Sandaime's assistance that Nariko had survived thus course, it was a relief to the brunette that the Third appeared to have a soft spot for the girl, but he really only had so much power...

She shook her head again, this time more firmly than before. _'No, I won't think about that! All that matters is that I found her first.'_ Izumi glanced back at her young charge, who had yet to stop glaring at the ground and continued dragging her feet.

Izumi frowned once again, frustration and exhaustion with the preteen filling her heart. "Nariko..."

The blonde didn't respond.

The child was, deep inside, a good kid. She was smart, and if what Izumi had seen with the transformation earlier was true, the girl was talented, but why did she waste that talent pulling stupid pranks that could end up getting her killed by the vengeful villagers? Why did she waste her time lazing about and forgetting to do homework?

Izumi sighed wearily. The irritation remained, but thankfully, it was not as prominent as before. "Nariko, I don't understand. Why do you keep doing these things? You know you're not supposed to, but you do them anyway..." She frowned again. "What could you possibly be trying to achieve by pulling these pranks?"

Nariko kept her silence, pretending to ignore her teacher, but the words rang through her ears, distorting the question mockingly in to a cruel chant.

"_What could you possibly be trying to achieve?" _

"_What could you be trying to achieve?" _

"_What could you achieve?" _

"_What could _**you**_ achieve?"_

The blonde fought back an angry growl as she banished the phrase from her mind. _She_ didn't understand; she didn't get it at all. How could she? It wasn't as if everyone in the entire stupid village hated _her_, or that _she _was the one met with cold stares or the angry whispers that people hissed to each other as if they thought she couldn't hear.

The corners of Nariko's mouth tightened. No, _she_ didn't understand, not one little bit. How could she know how it hurt, even more than the stares or the whispers, to be ignored, to go unnoticed? For people to purposely act as if she wasn't there, hoping she would just _die_ and disappear into nothingness, life going on as if she had never existed? How could she know how _desperately_ she needed to prank? How much she needed to gain attention and to turn everyone's eyes on her, even if the response was negative?

How could _she _understand how much she needed to be noticed, even if it only gained her hate instead of love?

How could _she_ understand what if felt like to be invisible?

The blonde's eyes narrowed marginally, not enough that anyone watching would be able to notice. _She_ didn't and she couldn't, so why bother?

Izumi observed the young girl carefully. Nariko was still pouting, and her expression had not changed noticeablywith the questions. However, from the sheer amount of time spent with the girl and through experience as a teacher, Izumi could see the almost invisible change to the preteen's cerulean eyes and the strangely familiar but unreadable emotion that passed through them.

Izumi frowned, puzzled by the emotion. She had seen it before… What was...?

She allowed the question to trail off, shaking her head with a sigh. She was too tired and frustrated to follow that train of thought now. For a brief moment, a pair of brown orbs flashed through her mind's eye with that same odd emotion, but it was gone in seconds, Izumi being too weary to try and grab hold of it.

The irritation returned, and she sighed once more in an attempt to calm herself. The action did little good, and the brunette titled her head upwards. "Sometimes, Nariko, I just-" She cut off, making an aggravated noise. "What am I supposed to do with you?..."

Only silence answered her, and she closed her eyes again in frustration. That girl…

Izumi's head jerked as something wet struck her nose. Blinking, she tilted her head back further to investigate its source, only to have another cold droplet hit her cheek.

The brunette grimaced and moaned softly. "Oh, dear... _N__ow_?"

As if in reply, another splash of rain collided with her chin, the drops quickly beginning to descend more heavily.

Nariko yelped when a droplet landed on her head and soaked through her hair to hit skin. She shivered in response. "Ack! That's cold!"

Izumi grimaced and sighed. Well, on a lighter note, the plants and trees would get watered... She frowned at the sudden and seemingly random thought. Did she always have to see the bright side to things?...

A childish growl interrupted the chunin's thoughts as Nariko grew frustrated with the chill.

"_Argh!_" the girl cried. "Izumi-sensei, we're getting wet! Shouldn't we be moving!"

The chunin blinked, jarred back to her senses as the rain came down harder, the cool wetness beginning to soak through her chunin-issued clothing. Thankfully, her vest was thick and protected enough of her body that she was relatively dry for the moment. However, with how heavy Konoha rain was, she wouldn't be fine for long. While still nowhere near as heavy as that of the Rain Village, their storms were not to be taken lightly.

As if to confirm the thought, a cold droplet slid down her neck, eliciting a shiver from her form.

Alright, time to move.

"Run!" she commanded, taking off down the quickly-emptying street.

Nariko didn't need to be told twice as she broke into a sprint, Izumi scrambling behind in a vain attempt to keep pace with the young girl. The only thing that kept the brunette from completely losing her charge was the long, heavy rope that connected the two, leaving poor Izumi to be dragged down the street.

The two dodged puddles and leaped towards the hard to find overhangs that would provide a meager shelter for the wet duo. The two raced towards the Academy, soaked to the bone despite the layers of clothing they both wore and their vain attempts to find shelter. Thus, by the time they finally approached the safety of the massive academy complex, both were absolutely drenched.

Nariko sputtered as she stumbled inside with her teacher, her clothes clinging to her shivering form and her blonde pigtails drooping comically as she leaned against the wall, panting lightly.

Izumi's brown hair had plastered itself to her face during their run and she brushed it off, teeth chattering as she did her best to wring it out. Giving up slightly in her attempt to get dry, Izumi leaned forward, hands on her knees as she gulped in massive breaths of air. She may have been a chunin, but she was also a teacher whose most vigorous exercise each day involved standing before a classroom and chasing down the occasional, unruly student—Nariko, of course, being the most common. She glanced over at her student enviously as the younger girl began to glare at her wet clothing, nearly recovered from their dash through the streets of Konohakagure. Pools of water collected around their feet with loud, obnoxious drips and splashes.

Nariko groaned pathetically, feeling more than seeing her hair hang limply from her head. "Look! My pigtails are all _droopy_ now! _Izumi-sensei, _how am I supposed to get the water out if I can't use my hands!" She pouted at Izumi for a moment before shaking her head like a dog.

The chunin squinted, holding up her arms as if to shield herself from the unexpected and annoying spray. "Hey, hey! _Stop that_, Nariko! You're getting _me_ wet!"

Nariko simply pouted again. "It's not as if you aren't already, Izumi-sensei."

The brunette sighed, internally agreeing with her wayward student as she looked down at herself glumly. From the looks of it, with how thick her clothing was, she'd still be uncomfortably wet long after Nariko had dried off.

_'Well, at least I'm not orange anymore,' _she managed to optimistically think, recalling the sticky neon orange Nariko had accidentally painted the brunette and a large part of the crowd with. Thankfully, all that remained of the bright paint was the lightly tinted puddles that splashed around them.

Izumi frowned as she went over her previous thought. _'Again with that bright side...'_

"My poor pigtails," the blonde whimpered yet again, sniffing dramatically as she unconsciously pulled herself into a slumped, despondent pose, the very picture of injured pride.

Izumi merely rolled her eyes and nudged her young pupil forward with her hand. "Oh, hush. You can worry about that later. Right now, _I_ still have a class to teach and for _you_ to attend." She paused and gave Nariko a stern glare. "And don't think I've forgotten that you need to be punished for that stunt you pulled earlier."

The blonde hunched her shoulders as she shrunk into herself and grimaced. "Aw, I was _hoping_..."

The chunin looked firmly at her student before stopping before the entrance to her classroom. _'I wonder how Hajime-san did,'_ Izumi wondered briefly as she opened the door. _'He's only been teaching a year, after all...' _

Sliding the shoji open fully, she froze, horror evident on her features. '_Oh no…_' Her ears rang from the sheer amount of noise that almost seemed to echo from the room.

Paper wads, airplanes, even a shuriken or two flew through the air—much to Izumi's horror and Nariko's amusement. Girls clustered about each other's desks, their high-pitched squeals ranging from heated debates on the best kunai technique to giggly whispers and red-faced glances at their newest crush.

The boys, on the other hand, lounged about in their seats, bragging in loud, obnoxious voices and arguing boisterously over who was stronger. Izumi recognized one blond in particular who was smirking arrogantly, seated near an annoyed, green-eyed male.

As some of the boys and girls argued, their debates turned into fistfights and battles in which they used whatever blunted academy weapons they owned. Boys tackled each other, ramming into one another and flipping benches and tables as they wrestled on the floor, as their classmates—the males in particular—cheered them on with pumped fists and excited whoops.

The noise was deafening, and Izumi could only gape in horrified shock. Slowly, ever so slowly, she bowed her head, the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail concealing a portion of her face. A vein at her temple throbbed furiously as she closed her eyes. However, imprinted on her eyelids was a picture of the student from earlier in slumber and snoring, as the chubby girl beside her munched on a box of pocky; the image infuriated her further and forced her shoulders to her ears.

A snarl covered her face as she trembled in rage, her face growing red with anger and the hard tremors consuming her form. Izumi ground her teeth as she dragged Nariko behind her on the rope, sheer unidentifiable fury bringing her to a stop in front of her desk so that she could face her students. She tapped her foot on the floor impatiently as she waited for the crowd of preteens to notice her, each thump of her foot matching the harsh beat of her heart.

The students continued on rambunctiously. Whether they were ignoring her or merely ignorant of her presence, Izumi didn't care; all that mattered was the simple fact that she had not been spared even a single glance.

Her cheeks flushed even darker out of a mixture of humiliation and anger as her hands fisted on her hips. Grasping onto the last tenuous strings of her allotted patience for the day, Izumi began a count within her head, waiting a few seconds more to see if her students would notice her and halt their rowdy actions.

Five seconds later and chaos still reigned.

Nariko, who had originally watched in hilarity at the mess her classmates had caused, looked up and gulped hard, sidling away as she attempted to create a larger distance between herself and the enraged brunette. Her classmates were done for—that much was obvious even to her—and she bit back a whimper as the rope still held tightly in her teacher's hands grew taut.

Forget her classmates; now _she_ was done for.

It was at that moment, with a horrified stare from Nariko and a stray paper wad, that it happened.

Izumi snapped.

"_**Quiet!**_"

The roar echoed throughout the room as the chunin, furious with the lack of acknowledgment and the crumpled note that had bounced off her pony-tailed head, made her irritation known—though, of course, calling the blazing emotion within her breast "irritation" made for a grand understatement.

Silence instantly consumed the genin hopefuls as her students stared with wide, terrified eyes. Some even went so far as to pale drastically, knees knocking together, or to slip bonelessly behind a table, unable to meet the brunette's furious brown eyes.

Izumi slowly raked her burning gaze across the room, meeting the eyes of each and every one of her errant pupils. "Return to your seats," she ordered in a calm, but frighteningly-quiet voice, "and sit down. _**N**__**ow**_."

Students shot to their seats in a rush of skidding feet and cluttered movement in an attempt to abate the anger of their already-furious teacher. Izumi waited, foot tapping a warning beat, until everyone had settled. Then, she stared them down quietly, breathing deeply in the hopes that it would keep her composed.

Mentally, she thanked the few—and apparently rare, she thought with a roll of her eyes—obedient students she had as she flicked her brown orbs towards the three dark-haired preteens seated near the back, all of whom had been silent from the moment she had entered. Of course, it was nice to pretend that they were simply perfect students. However, the truth of the matter was that two of them were highly anti-social and the last extremely shy. Nonetheless, they had behaved, and for that, she was grateful.

After a moment, she decided that she was calm enough to ask the biggest question on her mind.

"Exactly _where_ is Hajime-san?"

Silence answered her query as students either looked guiltily towards their neighbors, or focused their gaze intently on the wall behind their teacher. A few coughed, eyes avoiding the graffiti-covered chalkboard, while one outright snickered.

Izumi narrowed her eyes, closely observing the several looks shot towards the small closet in the corner of the room. Eying her pupils suspiciously, she slowly made her way towards the door and tentatively placed a hand on it, fingers pressed into the groove that would slide it open. She heard a few more coughs that sounded suspiciously like poorly-disguised giggles, and frowning, she tugged open the old, stubborn door with a click.

Her eyes went wide as Hajime collapsed onto the floor in front of her: bound, gagged, and eyes round with terror. Izumi gaped as laughter exploded around her.

"Hajime-san!" she cried, falling to her knees beside him and tugging at the fabric tied around his mouth. "Are you alright?"

The dark-haired nin moaned quietly, dazed as Izumi removed the cloth. "I can't feel my arms..." he managed to slur out, more than a little disoriented from his torturous ordeal.

Izumi quickly went to fumble with the rope that tied his wrists together behind his back, frowning at the clumsy, and somehow effective, knots. "Oh, here! Let me help you!"

Hajime nodded dizzily, eyes drifting about in a sluggish manner, as she freed his hands. The female brunette then grabbed his arm, helping him to sit up and bringing to attention his bound ankles. She patted his arms and shoulders, checking for injuries.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Izumi inquired worriedly. "Here… Can you untie your feet?"

The male chunin reached down, his numb fingers clumsily working to unravel the messy knot.

The laughter grew louder, the class deciding that if their teacher hadn't scolded them yet, then they were obviously free of punishment. Unfortunately for them, the noise finally registered in Izumi's mind, and she snapped her head to the crowd of students, an odd emotion flashing through her eyes.

"_That's it!_" she roared. "Line up! Pop quiz on Bunshin and twenty minute review afterward!"

The laughter immediately became replaced with groans and indignant protests that echoed loudly throughout the wide, open room.

Izumi glared sternly. "I can make it fourty!"

The complaints quickly quieted, changing to dark grumbles and moans as the students made their way down to the front.

A small flash of orange and blonde caught Izumi's eye, and she turned her head, catching sight of a familiar prankster attempting to make her second escape of the day.

"_Oh no, you don't_..." the brunette growled, grabbing the rope she had dropped in her hurry to help Hajime and jerking backwards.

"_Eep!"_ Nariko squealed as she toppled to the ground.

Izumi glared down at her wayward pupil. _"You_ are still in trouble. I don't care if you aresoaking wet; you are not excluded from this exercise."

The blonde moaned, squirming against the tight, chafing bonds. "But I hateBunshin..."

The chunin didn't waver, and no sympathy soaked her voice as she simply said, "Too bad."

Without waiting for Nariko's response, Izumi returned to the young teacher who struggled to stand. She grabbed one arm, making sure to keep hold of the rope this time, and helped him up, looking at the dark-haired male in concern.

"Are you alright?" she questioned anxiously. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea they would..." She waved a hand wildly as if that would explain her students' actions.

Apparently it did because Hajime nodded once in reply. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm a chunin, after all; I've been through worse…" He grimaced and sighed. "I guess I'm still just not very good at this, Izumi-san..."

Izumi smiled gently at him. "It's okay. It takes a little time, is all. You only need some experience and you'll be fine." The brunette flushed in embarrassment as she brushed a stray hair from her face. "Besides, my class is a bit... unruly anyway."

There was a dangerous undertone in her voice as she raised it towards the end of her words. Behind her, the voices that had steadily been rising dropped, and the brunette's lips quirked with satisfaction.

The male chunin hesitated, but returned the smile and nodded. "Right."

Izumi released his arm and watched him go. The door shut, and she turned to frown dangerously at her students. "Alright then, let's get started._"_

oxoxo

The classroom was silent, the students having left long ago after a grueling review and what seemed to be an endless lecture that consisted mainly of _"I can't believe you did that!" _and _"You don't tie up teachers who are watching you for me!"_

Izumi sighed upon seeing the empty benches and tables. _'Looks like it's just Nariko and me now...' _As punishment for her prank, the chunin had enlisted, or rather forced as the girl had protested, the young blonde to clean up the classroom after everyone had left.

At the moment, Nariko was clapping two erasers together, grumbling as she choked and coughed on the chalk cloud. She sputtered and went into an especially nasty fit as one collision sent an explosion of white into her face. The preteen furiously scrubbed at her scowling features with her sleeve as she sniffed and rubbed at her itching eyes.

"Urgh... I hate this stuff!" she groaned. "It always gets in my eyes and makes me cough!"

"Keep working, Nariko!" Izumi didn't even bother to look up from the desk where she was finishing up some last minute grading. "You still have a lot to do before you go home!" She glanced down at the paper in her hand, marking something off and writing a large _B_ in the corner.

The blonde grumbled out an unintelligible reply, and Izumi frowned.

"You know, you're very lucky Hokage-sama wasn't angry," she added. "I should have you scrubbing off that paint. Fortunately for you, the rain is washing it away instead."

"Hmph!" the blonde huffed. "You don't have to tell me that. I'm doing it, right?" She suddenly scowled and growled quietly to herself. "And what if I decided to sneak away, huh? It's not like you could do anything about it..."

Izumi's head jerked up at the grumbled threat. "Nariko! Don't even think about it or I'll-"

"_What!__" _The blonde whipped her head around to glare at her. "You'll catch me? Drag me back? Make me do it anyway?"

"Nariko," the brunette warned, "do _not_ push me. I'll-"

"Oh, _what!_ You'll hateme?" Nariko glared, expression tight and angry, before turning back to the erasers and muttering to herself. "Well, get in line then. Everyone else already does..."

The chunin gaped, startled by the young girl's sudden, and seemingly unrelated, outburst. "Nariko-"

Izumi stopped herself. What exactly could she expect to say to that?

"_Oh, of course they don't, Nariko! No need to point out the constant, heated glares, or those nasty words, or even that nice old lady that spits at you every other day! They're just jealous, that's all! __Deep down, they really like you!"_

Izumi grimaced and looked at her lap. She couldn't lie to Nariko; no, that would only upset her further. Yet...

"_I don't hate you..." _she wanted to say, but as per usual, her throat closed up, and she couldn't get it out. What did that mean? Was it a hint that those words, that phrase she wanted to say, that it was a lie too?

Izumi couldn't bear the thought. It couldn't be true. She didn't think she hated the girl. After all, it wasn't her fault; none of it was... Right?

She glanced at the blonde, who continued to slap the erasers together, though with much more force than earlier. Sure, Nariko could be a pain sometimes—okay, all the time—and true, she constantly had Izumi stressed with all the pranks she pulled; and sure, the brunette was certain she was going to have several gray hairs before she hit thirty, but that didn't mean she hated her student, did it?

Nariko remained silent, arms mechanically going through the practiced motions of clearing out the erasers. The quiet began to echo in her ears. Izumi had started to say her name, but she had cut off. What did that mean?

A little part inside of her froze, growing cold with a familiar fear. What if Izumi did hate her? What if she really did? It shouldn't have sounded so surprising, should it? After all, everyone else hated her, so why wouldn't Izumi?

_'But Izumi-sensei is always so nice,'_ her mind whispered quietly. _'Even when she's mad, she doesn't seem to hate you...'_

Seem to. She didn't _seem _to.

_'Well, even if she didn't hate me before, I'm sure she does now,' _Nariko thought, shoulders slumping in dejection. _'After I yelled at her and said those things, she has to...' __Her eyes clenched shut, and she gritted her teeth. ____'Damn it, why did I even say them?'_

_'Oh, shut up, you big baby! What are you getting so worked up for!' __a_nother part of her growled roughly. _'It's not as if ____you__ care, remember? _You_ let everything roll off and just keep __smiling__.' __The last word came out almost bitterly._

Nariko's eyes lowered sadly as her head drooped even more. _'Yeah, sure. Of course...'_

She sighed. It still hurt, though. She didn't _want_ Izumi to hate her. She was the only person who was ever nice to her.

Well, other than the Third and the Ichiraku lady, of course, and speaking of Ichiraku's...

The blonde's stomach growled loudly, and she looked down with a grimace. Oh great, now not only was the chalk dust messing with her, she was hungry too. Lovely.

Izumi jolted slightly at the sound of the young girl's stomach. She glanced at Nariko, noting her expression, and sighed, smiling softly to herself.

_'That's Nariko for you,' _she thought affectionately. _'Always hungry...'_

She bit her lip, recalling the preteen's earlier words. It had hurt to hear that from her, for she honestly didn't think she hated the girl—or at least she wanted to think that—and it bothered her to see Nariko as downtrodden as she had been before her stomach had growled. Something had tugged at her heart strings, something inside of her that had never liked seeing anyone, whoever they were, unhappy.

The chunin blinked, an idea coming to mind, as she smiled softly. Izumi looked at Nariko for a moment before clearing her throat.

The blonde jerked her head up, startled to have the almost-painful silence broken.

"Ah, you know, Nariko, I was thinking..." Izumi said, trying to sound casual as she stared down at her desk. "If you finish up quickly- I mean, I'm almost done with my own work, and it is getting a little late. If you finish up quickly..." She shifted, blinking and shuffling some of her papers in a vain attempt to keep order. "...We could head to Ichiraku's to grab a bowl or two." She lifted her head to smile hesitantly at the girl. "My treat."

Nariko stared at her teacher for a moment, seemingly stunned into silence; but after a short moment, she grinned broadly, eyes squeezing shut in her joy. "Oh, yeah! _Yes, yes!_" she chirped excitedly. "That's some of the best motivation I've ever had in my life!" She gave the erasers one final, hard clap before tossing them onto the metal tray below the black board and rushing to grab the broom from the closet. "I'll get this done in no time! Just you wait!"

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Izumi cried, eyes wide as she leapt to her feet, chair screeching backwards. "Be careful, Nariko! Don't break anything!"

"I won't!" came the blonde's loud response.

The chunin sighed, an affectionate grin tugging at her lips as she sat herself back down and returned to her papers.

_'That girl... She really is a piece of work...'_

She winced when she heard something clatter to the ground, followed by Nariko's quick apology, before whatever it was scraped the shelf as the blonde returned it to its original position. Izumi sighed again and shook her head.

_'Literally.'_

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– The title of this chapter, of course, mostly relates to the classroom scene, which is my favorite part. _**Grins.**_ I'm very pleased with how it turned out. However, it could also relate to the chaotic thoughts of both Izumi and Nariko at the beginning and end of the chapter.

– Nariko is very protective of her pigtails and extremely proud of them as well. She finds them to be very cute and hates to have them tampered with. However, she did not gain them until after attending the Academy. It's rumored that she got the idea from someone close to her.

– 7 members of the Rookie 9, excluding Nariko, are mentioned in this chapter, which means that only one of them has yet to be even remotely described.

– Hajime is the same age as Izumi; he just began teaching later than her. Thus, he has yet to learn how to handle out-of-control classrooms.

– I had the rain mostly so I could switch up the punishment for Nariko. I didn't want it to be a retelling of the original story line, after all. It was simply an added bonus that Izumi got to be cleaned up as well.

– Izumi is somewhat of an optimist; both in the fact that she does tend to look on the bright side and that she prefers to see the good in people. She, however, prefers to call herself a bright realist, as she is not blinded to reality by her wish to see the good. Her intuition on people is actually well-honed, mostly due to her years as a teacher.


	3. Failure

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:**We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 3: _Failure_

(Completed: 07-09-09)

x

x

Elated giggles and excited chatter filled the evening sky. The street was mostly dark but for the few brightly-lit lamps that were scattered along the path, hanging from the edges of the shops and shining from apartment windows. Small groups of people clustered about the edges of the buildings, some making a last trip out while exhausted men and women returned home after a long day of work. However, for the most part, the road was quiet and empty.

The source of the aforementioned noise bounced alongside a brown-haired chunin, rambling eagerly about some subject or other that her companion had long lost track of. Fortunately for the brunette, with the chatty girl's oblivious nature, the blonde remained ignorant and continued with her non-stop babbling.

Izumi smiled softly down at her student as she did her best to listen, though most of it passed too quickly for her to actually register it within her mind. Despite this, she indulged the over-exuberant blonde as they made their way to the well-known Ichiraku ramen shop.

"It was so cool, Izumi-sensei!" Nariko exclaimed with awe, arms waving broadly as she attempted to physically show her enthusiasm. "I didn't know anybody could do something like _that!_ Did you?"

"No, I don't think I did," Izumi replied without hesitation, though to what subject she was responding she had no clue.

"_See?_ Even you didn't know and you're a _teacher!_" the blonde exclaimed, eyes wide as she pointed into the air for emphasis. She grinned confidently and placed her hands on her hips. "But you know what? I bet I know someone who could."

Izumi raised her eyebrows, giving the girl an amused smile. "Is that so? And who's that?"

Nariko rolled her eyes, though the grin seemed glued to her face. "Who else, Izumi-sensei? The _Fourth!_" She closed her eyes and nodded. "He's the best, after all, and no one can be better than the best. _Everyone_ knows that!"

The blonde opened her eyes again and whirled around to beam at the chunin, continuing whilst walking backwards. "He was so awesome. I bet he could do _anything!_" She put up her fists as if she were fighting off an imaginary foe. "If he could beat back a huge demon fox and save the whole village, then there's no _way_ he couldn't walk on water!"

The brunette found her eyebrows rising a second time. _'Ah, so that's what she was talking about earlier...' _

Izumi thought it best not to mention to the blonde that most all Konoha shinobi were required to learn that skill. Why burst her bubble? She would learn the truth soon enough.

So, the chunin simply smiled again, a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she remembered exactly who she had taught about that day.

"You know, Nariko," Izumi said casually, already predicting how the preteen would react to her news. "I actually gave a lesson on the Yondaime today..."

There was a brief silence.

"_**What!**__"_ Nariko's wail deafened Izumi, as the girl dramatically pressed her palms against her skull. "You talked about the _Fourth _without _me _there? Izumi-sensei, _how __could__ you!_"

The brunette gave the girl a stern look, though her eyes betrayed her humor at her pupil's over-the-top despair. "Well, last I checked you were actually supposed to _be_ in class today."

Nariko made a face as she crossed her arms. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You've already pointed it out, like, a _bajillion_ times!" She began waving her arms again.

Izumi laughed, eyes sparkling merrily. "Nariko, that's not a number, and besides..." She lightly rapped on the preteen's head in a scolding manner. "I have to, or it won't get through that thick skull of yours."

Nariko rubbed the place her teacher had knocked, mock-pouting at her. However, it swiftly morphed into a grin as she giggled.

Izumi felt the corners of her own lips quirk up for yet another time that night as they finally reached the blonde's favorite ramen shop. The young girl lit up as she bounded towards it excitedly, rambling on about the noodle soup she had been craving so.

The chunin trailed behind her, shaking her head in amusement. _'I wonder if I'll ever grow used to her enthusiasm...'_ As she watched Nariko's eager chatter with the shop's owner and her son as the blonde ordered her first bowl, Izumi decided not.

_'Give me fifty more years and I still doubt I'll be used to it,'_ the chunin thought wryly, even as she felt an affectionate grin swell upon her features. She then ducked underneath the shop flap to join her student.

oxoxo

Nariko slammed her now empty ramen bowl on to the table, licking the remnants of broth from her lips. "More please!" she exclaimed as if starving, despite having long since devoured quite a few bowls of the steaming dish.

Izumi, though mentally moaning over whether or not she could pay for them with _her _kind of salary, remained focused on the wobbling tower that rested dangerously close to the blonde's elbow. The chunin eyed it nervously, worrying that the young girl would accidentally bring the heavy ceramic pile crashing down upon her pig-tailed head.

Oblivious to the brunette's concerns, Nariko grinned broadly as the owner presented her with a new bowl. Barely remembering to shout out a brief "Thank you!" she began to devour it, nearly brushing the large stack again as she did.

Izumi bit back a gasp as she gripped the table edge with one hand, her knuckles going white. Noting the Ramen Woman's sympathetic and understanding glance—Terumi, Izumi thought her name was—she forced herself to relax and release the counter, rubbing her forehead after she had done so. She swore the blonde was going to give her a heart attack one day if this kept up. God only knew she already stressed enough every day over the little hellions she called her students. Yet, despite that, Nariko stilltook the prize by far...

"I _still_ can't believe you'd teach about the Fourth in class without _me_ there, Izumi-sensei!"

Izumi blinked and glanced at the preteen, who was pouting at her again and had paused in her consumption to bring up the topic of earlier. They were back to this again?

"I mean, come on!" The girl waved one hand in disbelief. "How can you teach about the coolest guy _ever_without his biggest fan there?" She beamed at her teacher, clutching the large bowl to her chest. "He's practically my idol!_ You_ know that..."

The chunin shook her head in exasperation. "Yes, yes, of course I do. You never let me forget it!"

As if to prove the brunette's claim, Nariko gushed about the Fourth ecstatically, stuffing her mouth full of noodles between words and leaving Izumi to worry that the girl might choke.

The brunette smiled at the irony of the blonde's open adoration and, filled with thoughts of her own, snuck a glance towards the preteen's stomach, knowing exactly what lay beneath her dark tank top. _'Oh, Nariko... If you only knew...' _

The blonde continued to slurp her ramen, the subject transforming into that of Hokage. "That's what I'm gonna be one day, you know," she stated matter of factly as she guided a stream of noodles through her lips. "It'll be awesome! I'll be the greatest Hokage there ever was, not to mention the first female Hokage in all of forever!"

Nariko beamed proudly at Izumi, blue eyes narrowing in glee. "Can you just imagine that? Not only will I be the best, but I'll be a _first__!_" She grinned excitedly. "How cool will that be? People will _never_ be able to forget my name after that! I'll be something, someone special! Just you wait and I'll- I'll-" She waved her hands frantically yet another time that night, as if to make up for her sudden inability to express what she intended to do once she had reached her goal.

Izumi also waved one hand in a semi-frantic manner, attempting to calm the over-exuberant girl. "Whoa, whoa, slow down there!" She tilted her head towards Nariko, a smile playing at her lips. "You _still _have to pass the Academy first, remember?" She tapped the metal of her headband and the corners of her lips lifted further. "You're not even officially a ninja yet, not until you get one of these."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Nariko giggled, eyes going shut. "There's no way I can fail!" She grinned and pumped a fist, chopsticks still held within her fingers. "I'm Uzumaki Nariko, future Hokage of Konoha, remember?"

Izumi quirked one thin eyebrow with an amused grin. "Oh, is that so? And who exactly failed her graduation exam the last two times she took it?" the brunette teased.

The blonde slouched down and crossed her arms, giving her teacher a sulky look. "But that was back then..." She perked up in her seat, beaming again. "I'm _way _better now. You'll see!"

The orange-clad girl leaned forward, towards her teacher, chin tilted upwards and blue orbs shining with enthusiasm. "I'm gonna pass that test and get one of those headbands, Izumi-sensei! Then, I'll be a _real _ninja and one step closer to my dream!" She closed her eyes again and giggled, returning to her ramen.

As Nariko slurped up the noodles, she glanced towards the Hokage monument where her idol's face lay, stone eyes firm but proud.

_'Just you wait,' _she thought to the frozen features of the Fourth Hokage. _'You may be the greatest, but I promise to be greater.' _She smiled once more. _'I don't break promises, so you can count on __that...'_ And then, with one last, lingering glance towards the stony visage, she returned to her meal, leaving Izumi to moan pathetically over her wallet.

oxoxo

The next day was bright and clear, with the sun beaming warmly upon the earth. To Uzumaki Nariko, however, it could have been storming as badly as the day before, and she wouldn't have noticed. In fact, she might have even preferred it if it meant postponing this test.

The blonde squirmed in her seat, two rows back from the front where Izumi stood, explaining the details of their graduation exam. The genin hopeful swallowed hard and gripped the edge of the bench on either side of her knees, toes curling nervously within her sandals.

Today was the day: the day she had faced two times already _and_ the day she had left disappointed from those same two times. The thought only made her stomach twist further and she regretted letting it slip into her mind.

"This portion of the exam you will be called up one by one where you will then enter the room next door," Izumi described, pointing at the place they would exit from. "From there in front of a table of teachers, which will include myself, you will complete your test..."

Nariko furrowed her eyebrows and lifted her chin in determination, though her fingers still clutched the seat with white knuckles. Today _would_ be the day she ended the pattern. Today, she was going to graduate and she was going to get that headband just like she had told her teacher the night before. Today, she would become a genin, a real ninja, and one step closer to her goal of Hokage! Today, she-

"...by successfully conjuring three copies of yourself in the form of Bunshin," Izumi finished.

-was doomed. The preteen's head thudded on the table as she whimpered to herself. They were going to use Bunshin for the test _again?_ They had used it the _last_ two times; weren't they tired of it yet!

Nariko pried her fingers from the bench to clutch at her head instead. Did some deity up there hate her? Was it karma for all the pranks she had pulled? Sure, maybe she had gone a little overboard with the whoopee cushion in the Sandaime's chair when he had been assigning missions, or the "artwork" on both the Hokage Tower and, most recently, the great wall, but really, this was insane! You couldn't have the same thing three times in a row; it wasn't right! That, and she completely _failed_ at Bunshin. What was _wrong_ with them?

She winced as she thought back to their review the day before when she had unsuccessfully attempted a clone of herself. It wasn't as if nothing had happened, but still, the results had been pitiful to say the least.

_'And humiliating,'_ she thought to herself, recalling the jeering laughter of her fellow students when she had failed. She had hunched her shoulders, embarrassed by the giggles, but had swiftly recovered, scratching her cheek and sticking out her tongue with a grin, as if she had intended to do it all along.

The blonde frowned at the memory, face resting behind her arms on the table. She then sighed and clenched her fists, sitting up again to lean back in her seat. Story of her life...

"Uzumaki Nariko!"

Said girl jolted from her thoughts, startled by the sudden shout of her name. Noting the attention of her classmates, she grinned and leapt onto the bench.

"It's about time!" she cried excitedly. "The future Hokage is on her way!"

The chunin responsible for calling the names glared at her, but before he could open his mouth to speak, Nariko bounded from her seat and slipped under his arm, making her way to the room for the test.

However, she slowed as she approached the door, it suddenly feeling one hundred feet tall and at least eighty feet wide. She gulped, nervousness playing with her stomach and causing her to bite her lip. Immediately, she shook it off and forced a grin on to her features, snapping the panel open and skipping inside.

"I'm here!" the preteen exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips and meager chest thrust out in pride. "And ready to take this test!"

Silence greeted her, followed by a faintly vexed look from Izumi.

The brunette cleared her throat, lacing her fingers together upon the desk and falling into _Teacher Mode_.

"Alright, Nariko," she began, "you know what to do. Create three complete bunshin of yourself and you'll receive a Konoha headband, becoming a genin in the process. If you fail to do so, you will sit through the Academy for another four months until we hold the next Graduation Exam where you will be given the chance to try..."

The chunin trailed off as Nariko waved her hand in dismissal of her teacher's words. "Yeah, yeah, I know that already! I heard all this the _first_ two times! Can't I just get it over with?"

Izumi's eye twitched in annoyance, but she took a deep breath and sighed. "Fine. Continue then, if you're so confident."

"Alright then!" the blonde grinned broadly, placing her hands together in the proper seals. "_Bunshin no jutsu!"_

_**Poof!**_

_'Oh, I hope it works this time...'_ Nariko worried to herself as she watched with the others to see if she had succeeded. She bit her lip anxiously, waiting for the smoke to clear. _'Maybe...'_

Her heart plummeted when she met with the same sight she had seen yesterday, the past two tests she had taken, and every time she had tried.

Slumped on the floor, looking almost deathly ill and completely pitiful, was Nariko's attempt at a clone. She stared at the bunshin, face paling until she nearly matched her copy. She knew what came next.

"Nariko... you fail."

The blonde could almost feel Izumi's disappointed and frustrated gaze upon her. Who could blame her? Nariko didn't feel any differently, though her heart sunk lower, head drooping. A lump formed in her throat, and a strangely familiar heat built up at the back of her eyes. She clenched her fists in an attempt to force it back. She had thought... Maybe... This time...

She shut her eyes, not wanting to cry in front of the nasty, triumphant looks that coated some of the teachers' faces. Not in front of them; it was what they would want.

"Izumi-san... Perhaps we could let her pass?"

Nariko jerked her head up, shocked to hear those words. Izumi appeared just as startled as her student as she regarded the male beside her with wide eyes.

"Hajime-san..." the female chunin trailed, frowning. "You know we can't do that. Nariko was supposed to make three clones, but she barely even made one. Not only that, it wasn't even a very good one."

"Yes, yes, I know..." the dark-haired nin replied, ice-blue eyes hesitant. "But she's already tried... wasn't it twice already?" Izumi nodded and he went on. "And it's not as if she didn't make an effort. She did create something even if it wasn't..." He paused, debating over his wording. "...the _best_ clone I've ever seen. It was still something." His eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at Izumi nervously. "Maybe we could? Just this once?..."

The brunette frowned again, glancing at her young student. The preteen watched them with hopeful eyes, the blue orbs shining anxiously as she nibbled on her lip, twisting her hands together. Izumi bit her own lip, a part of her wishing to let the young girl pass as well, but the other part of her that had been teaching for years stomped the wishful half down. Izumi pursed her lips, knowing what had to be done.

With some measure of reluctance, she shook her head, the expressions on the faces of the other teachers darkening in malicious joy. "I'm sorry, but we can't do that." She tried to ignore how the blonde's face visibly fell at her words. "The requirement was that she make three bunshin. It wouldn't be fair to the other students. We can't make exceptions..."

For a brief moment, Hajime looked faintly surprised, but it vanished as quickly as it came, instead transforming into disappointment as he nodded at her words.

Izumi shot one last glance at Nariko before the young girl left the room. She regretted the action immediately upon spotting the betrayal in her student's once bright blue orbs.

The brunette tried to overlook the guilt that tightened her chest as they called in the next student.

oxoxo

Nariko walked slowly along the streets of Konoha, each step heavy with despair. Anger stirred within her, the combination bringing frustrated tears to her eyes. She harshly rubbed them away, furious with the Academy, furious with the students who had passed, furious with Izumi for not letting her do the same, furious with the parents who looked so proud and smiled so big...

...Furious with herself for wanting to just curl up and cry. She squeezed her eyes shut, not needing to see to walk Konoha's streets. She practically knew the roads by heart now, having to use them as escape routes on more than one occasion.

She listened to the quiet scrapings of her sandals upon the dirt, struggling to think of anything but her failure. Yet she couldn't help but bitterly recall the large crowd that had gathered outside of the Academy, with those happy kids, who had recently become ninja, and their overjoyed parents, who patted their backs and promised to treat them.

Nariko kicked at the ground in frustration, wanting so much to... to... She released an irritated noise, hugging herself tightly as she glared helplessly at her feet. She didn't even know what she wanted. How pathetic was that?

_'I wanted to pass,' _she amended quietly. _'I wanted to pass this time. I wanted to show everyone that I could do this. I wanted...' _She lowered her head.

"I wanted to show Izumi-sensei that I wasn't a _complete_ failure," she whispered.

Feeling frustrated again, she shoved her hands in her pockets and kicked a stone that littered the path...

...only to be startled when she felt something something larger than her shuriken and vaguely foreign thump her through her weapons' pouch at the movement.

Carefully, she reached back and pulled the object out, lifting it up to stare. It was a small scroll; in fact, it was the very _same_ one she had taken from the Hokage's office the other day.

Nariko gaped at it with wide, blue eyes. She had completely forgotten she had stuffed it in her pouch during her panic. How she had fit it in there...

The blonde tilted her head, wondering again what lay inside. She stiffened as it suddenly hit her. Hadn't she puzzled that there might be some advanced jutsu in there?

A grin slowly stretched her cheeks. Maybe... Just maybe... If she learned it... Maybe it would be enough for Izumi to let her pass! She looked down at the scroll, trembling with excitement, but stopped as she went to open it.

Wariness filled her and she looked around, suddenly uncertain of her surroundings as faint murmurs of the few lessons that had managed to wriggle their way into her brain echoed within her mind. Perhaps it was best she took this somewhere else, somewhere secluded where no one would be, where no one could catch her and try to take it away.

A quick glance to her right brought the forest into view. She stared at it for a moment, thinking the idea over. Then, coming to a decision, she scanned the area around her once more before taking off into the thick foliage.

oxoxo

Sarutobi leaned back from the large desk before him, sighing deeply as he rested from his work. There were so many papers, so many documents to be signed, so many _piles_; it was truly overwhelming at times, and some of those times he almost wondered why he had taken the job...

But all it took was one glance out his window, down at the bustling people doing business in the street and greeting each other cheerfully, and he was easily reminded.

The Third smiled at the thought and, raising himself up, decided it wouldn't hurt to take a quick look. It was still light outside, after all, though just barely, and much easier to enjoy the view when he could still see it. However, as he stood, he noticed something amiss.

The bottom-most drawer on his desk was slightly ajar.

To most, this wouldn't seem too unusual or troubling. Perhaps he had just forgotten to close it or had bumped it, bouncing it open.

Yet to the Sandaime, this was a subject of distinct worry. Though he knew he was getting on in his years and becoming a bit more forgetful as time went on, though his mind was still comparatively sharper than most his age, he also knew there was no possible way he could have left or bumped this drawer open. This particular drawer was one that was constantly kept locked and closely guarded by his personal ANBU and by himself.

The mostly-sole object it contained held information that was completely forbidden and possessed dangerous consequences, depending on who held it. For it to get into the wrong hands... And then for the drawer to be open?

Dread filling his aged form, the Hokage reached down and tugged at the handle.

The drawer slid open smoothly.

The scroll was gone.

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– The title of this chapter is fairly obvious, I think. Her failure at the test was a big part of this chapter, especially considering how torn up Nariko was about it afterward, but perhaps the _"Failure" _in the title could also be thought of as being Izumi's failure to comply to Hajime's suggestion or his failure in changing her mind or even the Third's and his ANBU's failure in protecting the scroll. There's a lot of failure in this chapter, come to think of it.

– Personal ANBU, you say? Then, how did Nariko get a hold of the scroll? ...That is a very good question.

– Izumi says _"Is that so?"_ more than once, enough so that we are meant to be lead to believe that it is something she says often when speaking with Nariko.

– Nariko has idolized the Fourth Hokage from the moment she first saw his photo and learned his story. She greatly looks up to him, as you could tell by the first two scenes, and he is a good part of the reason why she first thought up her dream to become Hokage. This is considered highly ironic by many, considering what he did to her, though she so far has been ignorant of that knowledge.


	4. Betrayal and Confusion

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:**We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 4: _Betrayal and Confusion_

(Completed: 07-20-09 )

x

x

Hajime darted from roof top to roof top, frowning slightly at the turmoil in his mind. Today had not gone as he had planned. He pushed off from a building's edge as he thought back to the earlier events.

He had been so sure that Izumi would say yes to his request. She seemed so close to the Kyuubi child, so... attached. For a brief moment, he had been certain that she would agree; but then her face had changed, and she had refused.

A larger part of him wanted to believe that it was because she did not feel for the jinchuuriki as much as he had been led to believe. However, the quiet voice within him disagreed, whispering that it likely had been the teacher inside her that wouldn't allow it. Izumi had always been somewhat of a stickler for following the rules, even when it came to that child.

Hajime grimaced at the thought of that girl. He had hoped that by bringing up the suggestion of her being passed when she should have failed, he could gain her trust. As much as he disliked the idea of getting near her, it was necessary if he wished to go through with his plan. He _needed_ her to trust him if he wanted it to work.

Landing on one of the rooftops, he sprung away again, soaring through the air. No matter; it should have been enough that he had "considered" it. From what he gathered, the Kyuubi child was surprisingly trusting considering her position. Lack of affection, perhaps?

He shook his head, ice-blue orbs hardening like the frozen liquid they resembled. It was not important why, just as long as it would assist him with his self-imposed mission. Pausing on one roof, he frowned and glanced around. Of course, completing that self-imposed mission required actually finding her first.

As if answering his unspoken question, a brief flare of chakra announced its presence in the forest to his right. The chunin crouched on the building top and faced the tree line. He narrowed his eyes. Though it had only been for a brief moment, the amount of chakra he had sensed had been absolutely massive.

Without hesitation, he took off in a sprint towards the thick foliage. He knew of only one person within the village that had chakra levels that high. A faint smirk tugged at his lips. Fortunately, it just so happened to be the very person he sought.

After leaping from tree branch to tree branch for a few short minutes, a flash of orange caught his eye. He stopped and pressed himself against the trunk, pleased that the child appeared to have not sensed his approach.

He smiled. Perfect.

And then, he stepped into view.

oxoxo

Izumi sighed softly to herself, finally resting at home after a long, tiring day at the Academy. The graduation exam had been exhausting in itself. What with the crying and begging for a second chance or the excited cries and victory dances of those who wouldn't leave the room, it wasn't hard to understand why she was so tired; but afterward, she had stayed behind, having to help sort out the files of those who had passed and those who hadn't. It had been a tedious task and the noise of the crowd outside had done little for her concentration.

Not to mention that nagging little emotion that had been playing with her heart long after Nariko had left the room...

Izumi shut her eyes and shook her head firmly. No, no, she wouldn't think about that!

'_I did the right thing_,' the brunette insisted. '_I have no reason to feel guilty about this and Nariko should have had no reason to feel betrayed. She needed to make three bunshin; she barely made one. __**It was the right thing**__.'_

Yet, despite her reasoning, the feeling did not disappear. Instead those darkened blue eyes continued to haunt her, the betrayal within them echoing loud and clear.

Izumi clenched her teeth, fingers clutching the hem of her shirt helplessly. What was she supposed to do? There were _no_ exceptions, not even for Nariko...

She tried to shove back images of the blonde sitting on the swing outside the building, quietly watching the cluster of students and parents that lingered there. She tried to pretend that she did not see all the malicious and relieved grins that those same parents and fellow teachers had shot towards the depressed blonde. She tried to ignore the memory of those blue orbs clouding up with the emotion she recognized but could not recall, and the tears Izumi swore had gathered there before the young girl had vanished from the scene. She tried not to think of how much it had pained her to see those tears as she looked away, attempting to forget...

But those unreadable blue eyes appeared within her mind once more, and she tried vainly to recall the name of the emotion she had seen there. It seemed so familiar... So very familiar...

And just as it had the day before, another pair of unreadable brown orbs materialized within her mind's eye. This time though, even though she felt just as weary as the first time the memory had bubbled up, she chose to latch on to that image. Perhaps she would finally come to understand what that recognizable emotion was.

She searched long and hard, wondering and wondering whose eyes those were. Slowly, very slowly, the memory came to her followed quickly by a realization. First came a form, faint and shadowy, but small as if it were that of a child's. The vision became clearer, now revealing the shadowy figure to be a young girl, no older than thirteen at best.

Izumi frowned, eyes widening as the face slowly came into focus, allowing her to finally recognize it as one she knew. Gently, she reached out towards the girl as if to touch her, but her fingers met glass. The brunette stared as she realized the young teen had copied her action. She lifted her gaze to lock with the girl's, again noting that the smaller brunette had done the same.

The female chunin stared wordlessly at the apparition in her mind, having long come to the realization of who it was.

"...It's me," she whispered softly.

The young Izumi stared at her solemnly, eyes shining with the emotion that had confused the older brunette earlier, but that she now understood perfectly. Izumi closed her eyes, mentally pressing her forehead to the mirror within her psyche, tears forming beneath her lashes.

_'Loneliness...' _her mind murmured.

_'Oh, Nariko..._' the brunette thought sadly, opening her eyes to stare blankly at her mental reflection. _'_That's_ what I saw... You were _lonely_... You...' _She continued to watch her younger self, the tears having faded as she came to yet another realization.

_'...are just like me...'_

Izumi felt like the breath had been punched out of her lungs. Just like her... _Nariko_ was just like _her_...

Memories of herself as a girl, the same girl that stood before her, orphaned and alone, crashed upon her like a flood. So much made sense now.

How many times had she purposely goofed up to attract the attention she had so desperately craved and seemed to have lost with her parents' death? How many times had she gone to fool around or pull some prank or other, hoping to garner some sort of reaction whether it was negative or not? How many times had she envied those children with parents or been driven to tears by the emptiness that ached inside her?...

...How many times had she seen the loneliness from her childhood reflected in Nariko's eyes?

Izumi stood there numbly, guilt panging within her chest, but not for the reason she had thought it to be.

_'How?_' she couldn't help but wonder helplessly. '_How could I have never noticed, never___realized_...?'_

_'You didn't want to,' _something told her quietly. Izumi flinched at the soft words. It was not a reprimand, not an enraged voice screaming for justice. She almost wished that it was, but it was only a mild, if brutal statement of fact. _'You refused to acknowledge it once you found yourself able to overcome it. You didn't want to remember, to be reminded of how it felt... or how much it hurt.'_

The brunette stared at the ground, now understanding her guilt. _'I... am so selfish... I ignored her true pain because I didn't want to recall it myself. If she hurt, I hurt; _that's___why I disliked so much to see her unhappy. She's me. She's _me._'_

Izumi's eyes went wide. No wonder she found it so difficult to tell the blonde she didn't hate her! How could she admit that to Nariko when such a fact wasn't even true for herself? The brunette laughed in bitter disbelief. She was a chunin, a teacher, but god, if she didn't feel like an idiot right then.

Everything made sense; all of it, _everything!_

She stared at nothing in particular, brown eyes filled with wonder. She understood now. Nariko... Oh, Nariko... How could she have been so selfish, so blind?

That girl, that blonde, that hard-headed, oblivious, wonderful student of hers! She was-

Izumi's jolt back to reality came in the form of a great flare of chakra: brief, but massive.

Her breath caught within her throat. She'd recognize that chakra anywhere... The brunette glanced in the direction she had sensed it, and a cold dread twisted her insides.

She swallowed, wondering at the emotion. She didn't know why it was there. Maybe it was that female intuition she heard about so often and never felt, or perhaps it was the events of the day; but whatever it was, all Izumi knew was that the flare had given her a bad feeling.

As a shinobi, she had been taught to follow her gut, and the fact that it seemed Nariko was involved?...

Without a word, Izumi took off out her front room window, briefly hoping that her instinct was wrong. However, if it was right...

She only prayed she wasn't too late.

oxoxo

The Third sat calmly at his desk, pondering the dilemma before him.

The scroll, _the _scroll, the _forbidden _scroll that held _that _jutsu was _gone_...

Unnecessary and over-the-top use of inflection aside—though considering the severity of the situation, perhaps it was justified—he had already figured out when the scroll had been taken. Only one time had he left the drawer unattended in the past two days, and he knew that the scroll had still been there the other morning. It was simply a matter of _who_ had taken it, really.

He closed his eyes, running through the possibilities. Only a select few knew of the scroll's existence, and even then, there were fewer who knew of its location. As far as his awareness went, those few were trustworthy, and even if they wanted the jutsu within, they would have little use for it because they lacked the chakra for any of the techniques the scroll withheld. So, who could have...?

His mind returned to the event that had drawn him away from his desk in the first place and the person in charge of the action. Sarutobi frowned at the thought. That didn't seem right. Nariko barely knew Konoha's history, let alone the existence of a scroll such as this. Besides that, how would she have gotten in?

He briefly recalled that someone appeared to have been in his office while he had been gone, and he hadn't thought he had left the window cracked...

But then, how would she have discovered the scroll or opened the drawer for that matter? It was kept locked at all times. She shouldn't have been able to even glimpse inside it.

The Sandaime frowned again, reminding himself that Nariko was an expert prankster. Perhaps she could have discovered some way to force it open, but what would she want with it? How would she even know of its presence?

He paused for a moment in thought. Then again, maybe she hadn't known what it was. Maybe she had discovered it accidentally? The Third turned the possibility over. It did seem like something Nariko would do. She had always been a bit of a curious child; a certain incident involving the blonde and a few less-than-respectable magazines she had discovered hidden in the desk of his very embarrassed and former assistant reminded him of that.

Sarutobi sighed deeply. He didn't want to think the blonde had taken it, but experience had taught him not to exclude anyone or anything. In their world of shinobi, many things were possible.

He reached down to a drawer on his right and slid it open. Then, he fished a small cushion from within and, after a moment, placed a round crystal ball upon it.

The Third brought his hands up to hover on either side of the clear orb, waiting for the image he sought to appear within. A scene swiftly materialized before him, holding the blonde he had hoped to find, and he glanced about it for a moment, searching for any signs of the scroll.

He sighed once more on seeing it spread out before her, the young girl bent over the writing, apparently in intense concentration though his view was that of her back. So, Nariko had taken it, after all.

The Sandaime had only a second to wonder how he was going to explain this to the council when something about the image caught his eye. The elderly man stared down at the orb, wordlessly watching the events play out before him.

The longer he watched, the more he smiled.

_'Perhaps... the council won't have to know, after all...'_

oxoxo

Nariko hunched over the paper, completely exhausted but obviously pleased.

_'Who would have guessed _that___would be the first thing on the scroll?' _Nariko thought with a grin.

"I can't wait to show this to Izumi-sensei!" she exclaimed, hopping up as she went to make the hand sign. _'Just one more test run and...'_

"Nariko!"

The blonde jumped, startled to hear someone call out her name. She whipped her head up to a tree on her left only to see a male chunin crouched on one of the branches. She stared blankly at him for a moment, attempting to recall why he seemed so familiar, when it clicked.

"Hajime!" she cried out suddenly. "That's who you are!" She grinned up at him. "You're that one guy from earlier, the one who asked Izumi-sensei to let me pass!"

Hajime's eyebrows rose at her sudden exclamation. "Ah... Yes, that's me." He frowned down at her apologetically. "I'm sorry she didn't agree though. I was so sure she would..."

Nariko drooped for a moment. "Yeah..." However, to the Leaf nin's immense surprise, she perked back up. "It's okay, though! I've been practicing this really cool new jutsu! Once Izumi-sensei sees it, she'll have to let me pass for sure!"

Hajime stared at her in confusion. "What?" He furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. "Jutsu? What jutsu?"

The blonde grinned at him once more. "It was in this scroll I found in the Old Man's office. It's amazing, and I've been working really hard to learn it!"

The chunin's frown deepened. Old Man?... His eyes widened. Oh, wait! Hadn't Izumi mentioned that that was Nariko's term for the Hokage? Hajime glanced back down at the preteen. So, that would mean she found the scroll in...

"You stole that from the Hokage's office?" he inquired, looking stunned.

The young girl frowned at him. "I didn't _steal_it! I'm just... borrowingit, that's all. I'm gonna put it back!"

The male brunette continued to stare at her, turning this information over in his mind. He had not been expecting that. She wasn't supposed to have stolen a scroll from the Hokage, and what jutsu had she learned?

Hajime reached behind his back, hand digging into his pouch to grab the objects placed within. No matter; it didn't change a thing. She thought him to be on her side, and that was enough for him to be able to catch her off guard. It was about time he went through with his "mission."

He gripped the objects tightly within his fingers, before snapping his hand around and letting go.

Nariko could only watch with stunned blue eyes as a swarm of shuriken descended upon her.

However, instead of the stabbing pain she expected, a sharp burning cut through her chest and back as she was tackled from the side, coming to crash onto the ground a mere foot from the thudding noise of metal piercing dirt.

The blonde could only stare blankly, as Izumi pushed herself off of her student and turned to regard the startled male chunin with confusion.

"Hajime-san..."

The blue-eyed man seemed to regain his senses, though his expression remained surprised.

"Izumi-san!" he cried. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_doing here?" the female brunette shot back. "Better yet, what are you _doing?_"

The man turned silent at that.

"Hajime-san," Izumi repeated, standing up, "what are you doing? Why would you attack Nariko?"

He clenched his jaw and glared at her. "Don't get in my way, Izumi-san. This is necessary."

"N-necessary?" she sputtered in shock. "Necessary for _what!_"

"It needs to be done," Hajime stated firmly. "Now, don't interfere."

Izumi looked at him, obviously upset and still puzzled. "Don't interfere? How can you say that when I find you attacking one of my _students!_"

This seemed to anger the male brunette for he whipped out a kunai and sent it flying at the young blonde, who had yet to move. To his irritation, Izumi appeared by the girl's side in a second and blocked the weapon with one of her own.

"I said, _don't interfere!_" Hajime's voice blared out angrily, the volume startling a few small animals. "Stay out of the way!"

"Do you honestly expect me to stand by while you try to attack her?" Izumi called out in disbelief. "She's my student! How could you-"

"Would you stop treating it like a person!" the male brunette snapped. "That _thing_needs to be dealt with!"

Nariko whipped her head to stare at the chunin, stunned hurt reflecting in her eyes. It?... Thing?... Why... Why was he using such cruel words to describe her? She was a person! How could he...? Her mind simply had difficulty accepting the scene before her. Therefore, thoughts buzzing unpleasantly in her head, she continued to watch, hoping things would begin to make sense.

Izumi, however, stared at Hajime in shock. "How... How could you _say_such a thing?"

Instead of answering, he went to attack Nariko yet again.

The female brunette quickly went to block once more, only for Hajime to launch another attack seconds after. Izumi frantically protected Nariko under the hail of deadly weapons, as Hajime stayed on the offense, working to get his kunai and shuriken around her and to the blonde she defended.

The preteen regarded the situation with numb confusion, brain whirring as it worked to process the unfolding events, which had yet to make any sense whatsoever. What... What was going on? Why was Hajime trying to attack her and...

...Why was Izumi protecting her?

Hajime became increasingly frustrated with his futile attempts, finally halting as he panted harshly, each quick intake of breath matching one of Izumi's.

"I can't believe you'd protect it," the male chunin hissed. "_Especially _after what it did to you, after how much it _hurt_ you..."

Nariko's head jerked up, her attention caught. "What?" she finally spoke, confusion prominent within her features. "What are you talking about? I'd never hurt Izumi-sensei!" She turned her eyes towards her teacher. "Right, Sensei? Tell him he's wrong! I haven't..."

The blonde paused on realizing that the brunette had tensed. "...I-Izumi-sensei?..."

A bitter smile appeared on Hajime's face. "Ah, Izumi... Just as soft as always. Unable to hurt anyone or anything, not even a demon..."

Nariko's brows furrowed. "Demon? What demon?" She looked around, puzzled, as if searching for the creature of which Hajime spoke

The dark-haired nin only laughed softly to himself. "You really don't know. Guess this proves _that_law has been upheld this far, ne?"

The preteen stared up at him, wide-eyed. "Law?... Which law? What are you talking about?"

"Stop it..." Izumi trembled, watching Hajime with wide, desperate eyes. "Don't do this..."

"Come now, Izumi," the man said softly. "Don't you think it's about time she understood why everyone stares at her so coldly?"

Nariko gasped. "You- You know why they do that?" She looked up at him, momentarily forgetting that he had attacked her mere moments ago in favor of learning why the villagers seemed to hate her so much. "You could tell me?"

"Nariko, no!" Izumi said frantically. "Don't! It's not-"

"I need to know!" Nariko insisted, ignoring her teacher's pleas. "Tell me! Tell me, please! I want to understand!"

"Nariko, you don't-!" her teacher cried desperately.

"Fine," Hajime replied, cutting off Izumi's protest. "You have a right to know."

"Hajime-san, don't-!"

"_You_ are the _Kyuubi._"

The clearing fell silent.

o

o

**Fun Fact:**

– The title of this chapter was thought up because, well, Izumi feels betrayed and confused; Nariko feels betrayed and confused, though perhaps more confused. **_Grins wryly. _**What more could you want?

– This chapter is the first one in which Hajime drops the suffix of _-san_ to Izumi's name, though it is far into the chapter that he does so.

– Hajime had originally just been a random ninja meant to inform Izumi of Nariko's misdoings in the first chapter, but when turning over the Mizuki issue and how Nariko was going to learn of the Kyuubi, I had this brilliant idea to borrow the poor little shinobi manhandled by Izumi's class and shape him for an entirely different purpose instead.

– Hajime is the only OC in this entire series, that I can currently recall, that is actually shown and holds any relevance to the plot. **_Laughs._** You may all breathe a sigh of relief now.

– Young Izumi's lonely eyes were first brought up in Chapter 2.

– This chapter and Chapter 5 were originally going to be one chapter, but when I realized how long it was getting to be, I decided to split them, making this a 5-chapter arc instead of a 4-chapter one, which I like better.

– Nariko's dialogue holds the most exclamation points out of any of my characters thus far. This includes future chapters as well.


	5. Truth and Love

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:**We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 5: _Truth and Love_

(Completed: 07-20-09)

x

x

**RECAP:**

_Nariko gasped. "You- You know why they do that?" She looked up at him, momentarily forgetting that he had attacked her mere moments ago in favor of learning why the villagers seemed to hate her so much. "You could tell me?"_

"_Nariko, no!" Izumi said frantically. "Don't! It's not-"_

"_I need to know!" Nariko insisted, ignoring her teacher's pleas. "Tell me! Tell me, please! I want to understand!"_

"_Nariko, you don't-!" her teacher cried desperately._

"_Fine," Hajime replied, cutting off Izumi's protest. "You have a right to know."_

"_Hajime-san, don't-!"_

"You_ are the _Kyuubi._"_

_The clearing fell silent._

xox

Izumi crouched protectively before the blonde, frozen in horror as she watched Nariko's face.

"...what?" Nariko's voice came out unusually meek and quiet. "W-what do you mean?... H-how? I can't be-" She whipped her head towards Izumi. "Izumi-sensei, that's not true, right? He-he's lying, right?" Her teacher was silent, and the blonde's voice became frantic. "_Right?_"

Izumi didn't answer for a long time and she licked her chapped lips nervously. "Nariko, I..." However, her words simply died on her tongue, and she observed her student helplessly.

The preteen began to tremble. "But- No. _How!_ That-that can't... The Fourth destroyed the Kyuubi!" Her words were desperate, as she tried to find the lie in Hajime's own. "How can that be true if he killed it!"

"But he didn't," Hajime responded calmly, though his eyes flashed strangely. "That's the story we tell our students and the village children, but that's not what happened. The Fourth didn't kill the Kyuubi that night. Instead, he sealed it away inside a newborn child..." He stared down at her blankly. "That child was you."

Nariko stared back, dazed by his words. _'I... I'm... I really am... That's why they all... because... because I'm...' _Her thoughts were disjointed; her whole body was numb. A small ball in her belly tightened with nausea. She... She had never felt so... so... _She_ was that horrible demon that had nearly wiped out Konoha, that had killed so many people, and that had caused the death of the _Fourth_?...She was _that_ monster?

The clearing turned gray, as her knees buckled beneath her and her vision blurred. No, no... It couldn't be... It couldn't...

Izumi could only watch as her student fell to her knees, trembling pathetically as she clutched her orange-clad form. A tear dripped down the brunette's face, a tear drenched in the guilt of her heavy conscience. If only she had come sooner, if only she had stopped Hajime, if only...

But she had no more time to think of _if-only_s as a wave of kunai whistled towards the shaking blonde.

Izumi'seyes widened.

"_**No**__!_"

Crimson blood splashed against Nariko's whiskered face, dripping down onto her clothes and the ground beneath. Her ears roared, only the taunting drip of the iron-scented liquid echoing through her mind, clear enough to be heard. The world distanced itself. She lifted a blood-stained hand and stared at it, each movement seeming slow, almost blurred. Her eyes traveled up, beyond her hand, as she slowly lifted her head to stare at her teacher. Izumi crouched over the blonde, arms spread out protectively as her face tightened in pain. Nariko's eyes were drawn over a dozen kunai that almost appeared to be growing out of the brunette's back. She stared at the red liquid dripping from each wound, following its path as it slid down her sensei's back until it splattered sickeningly on the ground.

"N-Nariko..." The woman's voice was weak as she stared down at her student through the one eye that she had managed to force open. "Are... you okay?"

The preteen jerked her gaze up to her teacher's own, her face suddenly warping into a picture of horror. "_Am _I_okay?_ Izumi-sensei, you- you're-" She cut her stammered words off, a lump forming in her throat.

Izumi smiled, though it looked more like a grimace. "It's... alright. Just... as long as you're... safe..."

Nariko stared at the brunette, at a loss for words.

"Oh, Izumi..."

The blonde snapped her head towards the dark-haired nin who had spoken, his expression pained. "You've always cared too much... I should have known that you'd shield her, even if she is your parent's murderer..."

The world stopped as Nariko's already over-worked brain processed that information. Hajime's earlier words popped into her mind.

"Especially_after what it did to you, after how much it _hurt _you..."_

Oh no... No, no, no... She _didn't_... She couldn't have... She... She had killed Izumi's _parents!_

The world spun again. Everything suddenly felt so wrong. Izumi had every _right _to hate her, but... she didn't? Nariko choked at the thought, face wrinkling unhappily. Izumi should despise her! _She_ had made Izumi, her sensei_, _who had always treated her so well, an orphan—an _orphan_!

The blonde began to tremble again. No, no, why was Izumi protecting her? _She _should be the one attacking her. _She _was the one who had every right! Why, for the love of god, _why_ wasn't she taking a kunai and shoving it through her chest? Why? Why?...

"Why?..." Nariko whispered, breath hitching. "Why?..."

Izumi stared silently down at the blonde as the young girl continued to shake.

"How... How can you still protect me?" the blonde hiccuped. "I..."

The brunette watched, as her student bit her lip in an attempt to force back a sob. There was silence for a long, long moment, and Nariko half-wondered if her teacher would refuse to answer.

"...Because I know what it's like."

Nariko's body froze in its tremors, and her eyes grew wide with shock. Slowly, she lifted her gaze up to her teacher's shiny one, stunned and slightly overwhelmed by the emotion, the painful understanding she saw within Izumi's eyes.

"To be alone... To feel so lonely..." the female chunin said softly, tears pooling in her brown orbs. "To do things you shouldn't because you need the attention... To get reactions from people, regardless of whether they're good or bad, because you just want someone to see you... to know you're there..."

Izumi bent her head, shoulders shaking as she cried. "I know how much it hurts. I know how it feels. I know how _you_ feel, and I hate to see anyone suffer the same as I did. Even so, it's not just that..."

The blonde stared at her wordlessly, eyes wide and filled with heartbroken confusion.

Izumi locked eyes with her. "Nariko, I-"

The preteen suddenly took off before she could say another word.

"_**Nariko**__!_" the brown-haired woman cried after her student, arms dropping so that her palms pressed against the ground, her student's departure taking her by surprise. She stiffened as a hand touched her shoulder, and slowly, she turned her head to see Hajime looking at her mournfully.

"Do you see how much it hurts you?" he said quietly. "Even as you're trying to show it your empathy, that demon runs off as if it's nothing and hurts you again; just as it always has..." His expression darkened. "Just as it always will."

Izumi's arms finally caved beneath her weight, and she collapsed to the ground. She cringed in pain when the motion shifted the kunai still embedded in her back. Trembling for a moment, she fought back the moan of pain she wished to release, but cried out on feeling one of the sharp weapons tugged from its place within her.

Hajime grimaced at the sound and rubbed her arm gently before removing another. Izumi bit her lip, surprised by the comforting gesture. The events of the night had made the man she thought she knew a different person; it was a relief to find something familiar.

"Why... Why would you do this?" Izumi forced out, once the kunai had been removed and the dark-haired nin had helped her to her feet. "I thought..."

"It's not you I'm after, Izumi..." Hajime said softly. "It's that _thing_ I need to kill."

Izumi jerked back as if she had been slapped. "_Kill?_ How could you even think to-? What did Nariko ever do to you!"

"It's not what it did to me!" the male chunin snapped. "It's what it did-" He cut off and went silent for a moment. "...I have to kill it. It's for the best." He reached out to touch the female brunette. "Izumi, try to understand-"

She whipped away from him, brown eyes expressing her betrayal. "I _don't_understand! Why? Why would you do this! I..." She stopped and looked away. "...I really _liked_ you..."

Hajime's face transformed into one of fury. "_**Liar**__!_"

Izumi flinched back in shock, anger and hurt burning within her own eyes. "_Why would I lie about something like that!_" she shouted back.

He chuckled softly, lips pulled into a grimace. "All these years and you _still_don't get it..."

The female chunin stared at him with wide, brown eyes. "What? Get what? I don't understand..."

He continued on as if he hadn't heard. "Even though we were on the same _genin_ team, even though it was so _obvious_..."

"What was? What are you talking about?" Izumi questioned, desperate for answers. "Hajime-kun?..."

The sound of the suffix from their childhood seemed to anger him for his jaw snapped shut, teeth grinding together and nostrils flaring as rage burned within his eyes. "How could you have not known? You _must _have known! Everyone else did!" Izumi opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "For god's sake, the whole _village_knew, so how dare you be so cruel as to say you _like_ me-" He spat the word venomously. "-now of all times, after all these years!"

"Hajime-kun..." the female brunette whispered, confused and more than a little frightened. "I don't know what you're-"

"_**I love you**__!_" Hajime nearly screamed.

Izumi could only stare at him, stunned and speechless by the sudden, outraged confession.

"You _had_to have known," he hissed. "It was so _obvious_. Why would you purposely torment me like that when you knew, when you _know_how I feel, how I've felt for all these years?"

"I didn't know. Oh god, I didn't know," Izumi whispered, fingers pressed to her mouth. "I didn't. I didn't. I _swear_. If I had..." She trailed off, swallowing hard at the pain in her former teammate's eyes.

Hajime smiled, but no humor, no kindness lurked behind it. "Oh, I'm sure. And to think you'd tell me you don't understand why I want to kill that demon..."

The brunette jolted for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. Nariko... She lifted her head, jaw set though tears still clouded her vision.

"Hajime-kun..." she said firmly in a tone she often used with her students. "If you really love me like you claim, then you won't kill Nariko or hurt one hair on her head."

Hajime laughed bitterly, startling her, his expression partially that of amusement and disbelief. "You really _don't _get it... I'm going to kill it _because_ I love you."

He smiled at her confused, brown orbs, though with a little of the kindness the other had lacked. "I'm trying to_ protect _you. Like I said, don't you see how much it's been hurting you? I'd never liked you getting close to that demon, you know. I warned you, remember? I suggested you stay away..."

Izumi's eyes widened as she recalled the half-forgotten incident. She hadn't thought anything of it at the time. Many of the teachers had been that way, after all, but...

"Haven't you seen how much it's hurt you, how much pain you've gone through for it?" he went on, adamant that she understand him, his voice filled with a raw passion fueled by his long-hidden affections for her. "Do you know how much it killed me to see you suffering, and for that demon of all things?"

His expression softened. "All I want is what's best for you. All I've _ever_ wanted is what's best for you. Don't you see? Killing it _is _the best for you. With that thing gone, you'll be free." He placed a hand to her cheek. "It won't _hurt _you anymore," he finished with a kind of conviction meant solely for her.

Izumi simply stared at him in disbelief.

Unbeknownst to them both, a familiar blonde had been hiding in the shadows nearby, listening to their conversation. She bowed her head at Hajime's words, curling up tighter, the scroll forgotten on her lap.

_'Maybe he's right,' _she thought sadly. _'Maybe... Maybe it's best he just kill me.' _She shut her eyes, lips trembling. _'I've hurt so many people, and I hurt Izumi-sensei, the one person who's been so _nice_ to me, __so badly, so much...' _She buried her face in her arms, feeling a familiar heat prick her eyes. _'Maybe... I should have just never been born...'_

"No, you're wrong," Izumi responded, denying his words and pushing away his hand. "Don't _you _see? Nariko's not a thing, she's not an it, and she's most certainly not the demon!"

The blonde paused, listening to her teacher's words.

"Don't you understand?" the brunette pleaded. "You said so yourself; the Kyuubi was sealed _inside _her, so she can't possibly be the demon! Nariko..."

Izumi paused and lowered her head. "...I don't care what you think. I don't care what people say about her. I don't even care that the council seem to somehow think she's a threat! Nariko is..." She lifted her gaze to stare Hajime down. "Nariko is a member, a shinobi of this village. You will _never _find a ninja with as big a heart as that girl—Kyuubi or no Kyuubi!"

Nariko trembled, and the female chunin, unaware of her second avid listener, went on.

"Nariko has become one of my precious people," Izumi said firmly. "She has become someone I _want_ to protect. She means so much to me and I care for her..." She paused for a moment. "In fact..." She smiled at Hajime, eyes glistening. "...I love her."

The blonde's shoulders shook with a suppressed sob, tears streaming down her cheeks. _'Izumi-sensei...'_

Hajime stared at his ex-teammate, and for a moment, Izumi thought she just might have gotten through to him...

Then, his face suddenly tightened, and his shoulders trembled with anger. "You... You'll love _her_, a child who you've only come to know during your past few years of teaching and one who's hurt you so much... But you won't love _me_, your former teammate who you have known since you were a child and who has done nothing but wish to _protect_ _you?_" His voice steadily rose with each syllable so that the last few words came out in a near-roar.

Alarm consumed Izumi's features. "What? N-no, I never said I didn't-"

He stalked towards her, and the female chunin scrambled back in an attempt to escape from the enraged man before her. "All I've wanted is what's best for you! All I've wanted is to keep you safe! All I've ever _wanted _is your _love_, but you won't even grant me _that!_"

He halted in his steps, and Izumi, in her frantic attempt to back away from the enraged shinobi, stumbled over one of the forgotten kunai. She collapsed to the ground, watching him with wide, frightened, doe-like eyes. Then, nostrils flaring and mind clouded with a sudden burst of rage, Hajime snatched another stray kunai from the ground and whipped it towards the woman he loved.

Izumi's eyes closed in terror.

_**Clang!**_

Her eyes flew back open in shock. The shinobi weapon thudded against the dirt, followed quickly by Hajime, his face pressed roughly to the ground. He pushed his head to the side, spitting grass out of his mouth as he caught sight of Nariko. She glared down at the man she had pinned to the ground, an almost feral snarl escaping her mouth.

"_**Don't you ever hurt my sensei.**_"

Izumi gaped at her. "Nariko..."

The male chunin lay there limply, his mind slowly coming to the realization of what he had just done. His eyes grew wide as horror consumed him. _'I... I just tried to hurt _Izumi_...'_

He stared numbly at the brown-haired woman, cheek pressed against the grass, eyes clouding again—not with anger, but despair instead. Disgusted with his own actions, he shifted his head so that he faced the dirt once more, ignoring the soil he knew was smudging itself on his skin and tangling itself in his now messy brown hair. What did it matter? He was already lower than it, no better than scum, no better than the very child he had sneered at and abhorred for harming the female brunette. Revulsion, not with the girl but himself, consumed him, and he shuddered helplessly.

A pang of sympathy filled Izumi as she watched the horror fill Hajime's eyes and the self-loathing that very nearly oozed from his form. She quickly forced herself up—the blonde looked far too ready to kill the man—and made her way over, touching the preteen's shoulder.

"It's okay, Nariko. Don't hurt him," she said softly.

The blonde snapped her head up, expression twisted with shock and disbelief. "But Izumi-sensei, he just- he just _attacked_ you! He was gonna _kill_ you!"

The older woman smiled at her. "I know, but..." She glanced down at her former teammate. "I don't believe he meant to do it. In fact, I think he regrets trying..." A part of her also doubted that he had actually intended to _kill _her—the trajectory had been a little off for a fatal hit—but she kept that to herself, doubting the blonde would believe her if she pointed it out.

Hajime's face jerked from the dirt to stare at the brunette in awe, suddenly reminded of one reason of many that made him love her so much. _'Izumi, you always forgave so easily...' _ His face fell slightly._ 'But I don't deserve it... And I especially don't deserve _you_...' _The thought tore at him, and shame forced him to close his eyes and turn his face away once more into the worm-infested dirt where he thought it so rightfully belonged.

"But all that stuff he did," Nariko frowned. "He..."

"He meant well," Izumi said simply, smiling down at him gently. "Just trust me on this, okay?"

The young girl frowned dubiously, but nodded and removed herself from the male chunin's back.

Izumi finally allowed the worry and pained hesitance she felt manifest upon her features, as she bent down by Hajime and lowered her head near his ear.

"I'm sorry for this," she whispered sadly, "but I have to be careful."

He briefly wondered what she meant through the blissful, unreasonable joy and painful increase of self-hatred caused by her nearness, when her fingers dug into a pressure point on his neck and his world faded to black.

oxoxo

Nariko watched as her teacher finally lifted herself to her feet, after crouching by the male chunin's limp form for an extra, unnecessary minute or two, and limped to a tree nearby. The woman settled back against it and slid to the ground so that she might rest from the exhausting night's events.

"Izumi-sensei..."

The brunette glanced up, surprised by the emotion in her student's voice. "Yes, Nariko?"

The preteen refused to meet the woman's eyes. "...I'm sorry."

Izumi sighed quietly as she listened to the unspoken words. _"I'm sorry I've hurt you so much..." _The girl was obviously not talking about the kunai wounds.

She gave her student a tender smile and reached her free arm, the one not occupied with clutching her ribs, out towards the unusually docile girl. "Nariko, come here."

The blonde hesitated, but slowly walked over to her teacher. Once Nariko anxiously stood before her, the brunette pulled the girl into an awkward hug, startling her pupil. Then, Izumi leaned forward, lips moving as she whispered softly to her student. Nariko froze as the quiet words filled the silence of the clearing.

"Don't worry. There's nothing to forgive."

The preteen sniffed, the heavy pressure in her chest forcing her eyes to well up once more, but instead of allowing the wetness to fall, she rubbed the blue orbs furiously, attempting to remove the tears collecting there. Oh no, no way was she going to start bawling like a baby again! She had cried enough for one day, thank you very much! However, she paused suddenly, blinking and unintentionally sending a few of the droplets rolling down her cheeks. Then again... After a short moment's thought, she smiled and leaned against Izumi.

_'It's okay to cry when you're happy...'_

Snuggled against her teacher, Nariko suddenly remembered exactly what had started this whole mess.

"Hey, Izumi-sensei."

The brunette lifted her head and opened her eyes to regard her student curiously. When the blonde didn't continue, Izumi sighed and, with an tired but amused quirk of her lips and exasperated roll of her eyes, said, "_Yes_, Nariko?"

The whiskered girl grinned broadly, blue eyes twinkling excitedly. "Well, you see, I've got this _really_ cool jutsu I wanna show you..."

And finally that night, after three failed exams, too many tears, years of hard work, and a very, very stunned, but proud Izumi, Uzumaki Nariko finally became a kunoichi; one step closer to her dream and one step closer to the long and exciting, but pain-filled journey ahead.

**End Arc 1**

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– The title of this chapter, while fitting here, was partially inspired by the opening mantra Team Rocket would chant when they would make their dramatic introductions in Pokemon. _"To denounce the evils of _**_Truth and Love_**_, To extend our reach to the stars above!"_

– This is the last time we will ever see Hajime in this story.

– This chapter is one example of how much more Shoujo-y this story is than the original Naruto. _**Grins wryly. **_Rawr. Beware.

– The first hint we saw that Izumi felt anything "special" for Hajime past simple concern was seen in these two lines from Chapter 2:

"_The laughter grew louder, the class deciding that if their teacher hadn't scolded them yet, then they were obviously free of punishment. Unfortunately for them, the noise finally registered in Izumi's mind, and she snapped her head to the crowd of students, __**an odd emotion flashing through her eyes.**__"_

– Hajime has been in every chapter of this arc, as have Izumi and Nariko. The Third has only been in 4 of them; he did not make an appearance in Chapter 2.

– Hajime's reasoning for becoming a teacher was more so he could be with Izumi and keep an eye on her than a true desire to teach.

– Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your perspective, because he broke the law of telling Nariko that the Kyuubi is sealed within her, Hajime must go to jail, unless circumstances work in such a way that both Izumi and the Hokage choose to stay silent about the matter. Izumi and Hajime do have a bit of a story following this, but it is obviously not going to be addressed in this story further as it has nothing to do with the plot. Though, I don't know that anyone would care about it anyway.


	6. New Faces

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:**We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 6: _New Faces_

(Completed: 08-03-09)

x

x

"Hey, watch out! Coming through!"

Villagers quickly stepped aside as an orange blur sprinted down the middle of the street. If the reflexive tone to their movement and the blatant disregard towards the speeding girl were any indication, the sight was not strange to them. If anything, the actions almost seemed natural, so natural in fact that most of the people didn't even look up as they continued on their way.

However, for those few who spared a glance towards the racing blonde, they noticed something distinctly out of place with the preteen.

A few of the ninja took second glances. Not just one thing strange, but _two_.

Those who bothered to look did take brief note of the small, ancient scroll held tightly within the girl's palm. What truly held the attention of those watching though was not the scroll, but instead the blinding light reflected off of the worn head protector resting on the girl's forehead. While it was already odd to see the girl wearing a headband to start with, it was even stranger to see such a worn item belonging to the young girl, who had obviously not had it for very long. A few of the older shinobi grinned wryly as they watched the girl press her fingers to the metal in wonder as she ran, remembering their own graduation ceremony years before.

Those who did not understand what the headband meant brushed off the strange sight as yet another oddity about the girl, but those who did understand the significance of the seemingly-innocent accessory gaped in horrified shock.

Uzumaki Nariko, the number one prankster and over exuberant troublemaker of their village, was a _kunoichi?_

A few of the more cowardly ones could only glance around nervously and wonder how much longer Konoha would remain standing. The braver souls simply headed to the closest bar to drink their new-found sorrows away.

Of course, the blonde remained oblivious to any of these reactions and instead continued with her break-neck pace. Though she headed towards her destination with determination in each stride, her mind dwelled on things other than her headband: namely, how she had attained the symbol of her status as a kunoichi and her sudden, unbelievable luck.

_'I still can't believe it!' _she thought to herself, her bright personality shining even in her thoughts. _'Of all the techniques to be on that scroll, I can't believe Kage Bunshin was first!'_

Yes, it had come as a surprise to the hyperactive girl when she had opened the scroll only to find that the first jutsu was a type of Bunshin; and not just any run-of-the-mill Academy Bunshin, but a Kage Bunshin—a _multiple_ Kage Bunshin, in fact. She had almost been devastated, recalling her failure earlier that day and the day before. However, she had already made up her mind beforehand that she would complete the first technique on that scroll, and that had been more than enough to motivate her. She wasn't the type to back down once she had agreed to something, and thus, she had planned to do it no matter what**.**

She had repeated the hand signs time and time again. Each time she had failed and each time she had tried once more, knowing it would be completely worth it once she succeeded. Yet, even just knowing was an entirely different sensation than truly experiencing it. The awed look on Izumi's face when she had seen her execute the technique had been the icing to the cake!

Well... right after the shock of finally graduating and having Izumi give her the headband right off her own forehead, of course.

Nariko still couldn't keep the grin off her face at the thought, as her free hand immediately went to the worn cloth and scuffed metal once more. All the exhaustion and frustration caused by her continual failure? Completely worth it just for the memories and emotions that would forever come with each brush of her fingertips across that indented leaf symbol.

She couldn't help but giggle. That had officially become the best day of her life, even with her third failure of the Graduation Exam and the painful tears she hadn't shed. Completely and totally worth it.

The blonde shut her eyes, pumping her legs harder as she headed towards her destination. She glanced up as the Hokage Tower came into view and clutched the scroll tighter against her palm.

Izumi had nearly panicked when she had realized that Nariko had taken an object such as _that_ practically from the Sandaime himself. She had immediately demanded that the blonde return it in exactly the same condition she had found it and made her swear that she would take it to the Third the very next morning before class.

Thus, Nariko's reasoning for running as fast as she could down the streets of Konoha and bounding up the long flight of steps leading to the Hokage's office. Sweat ran down her neck as she leapt forward two steps at a time, a difficult feat considering her small stature.

The orange-clad girl gritted her teeth, nostrils flaring as her breath whooshed out in heavy pants. She needed to be quick if she wanted to get to class on time. Today was her big day, the day she would be assigned a team. She couldn't miss getting placed on her genin squad! Who knew, she might get stuck with some lame team and jounin teacher if she was late.

Nariko made a face at the thought. She might even get put on a team with that stupidly-perfect Uchiha brat!

The whiskered genin scowled at that. Nuh-uh! No way! She was going to be on a team with _Seiichi-kun_, damn it, and that was _final!_ She nodded her head once decisively as she raced down the hall, skidding to a stop in front of the big wooden doors leading to the Hokage's office.

Not one for simple formalities such as knocking, the blonde burst inside and, after a few quick bounds, slammed the scroll upon the Sandaime's desk.

"Here, Old Man!" she proclaimed loudly. "There's your scroll!"

Nariko gasped for air, bracing her hand against the wood as she panted, completely bent over. Even someone with stamina as great as hers could only handle sprinting at such great speeds for so long, and she had nearly run from the opposite end of Konoha! Even if she was a ninja now, she was still only a kid.

The elderly man only seemed mildly surprised by her intrusion, instead glancing down at the scroll that had been unceremoniously slapped upon his desk. He smiled and slid the object from beneath her palm so he could turn it over carefully.

"Ah... Thank you, Nariko," he replied, eying the scroll for new wear and tear. "I was wondering when you'd return this."

The preteen blinked at him, startled. "_Eh!_ You knew? But, wait, how did-"

A loud poof interrupted her. She turned her head towards the sound, eyes wide, to see a plume of smoke. It dissipated to reveal a female jounin standing casually, a bright red book with hot pink hearts littering the cover held within her hand.

Aside from the very conspicuous novel, Nariko's eyes found their selves instantly drawn to the shock of messy silver hair that spilled just past the jounin's shoulders, bringing the blonde to briefly wonder when the woman had last pulled a brush through the tangled locks. The older kunoichi's solely-visible dark eye remained rooted to the hardback in her grasp, the other concealed by the shinobi headband slanted across her face.

A black mask hid her nose and lips, and the young girl couldn't help but puzzle over what lay underneath. Then, having observed and noted the most eye-catching pieces to the woman, Nariko's blue orbs drifted down to her clothing.

The woman wore the standard, high-collared vest and shinobi sandals, and a form-fitting black shirt clung to her torso underneath, the sleeves cutting off mid-forearm to reveal pale skin until the dark fingerless gloves that snugly fitted each hand. Navy-blue capris clothed her legs and the traditional ninja bandages, worn in case of medical emergencies and to protect against tall grasses and other sharper plants, wrapped around each shin.

Nariko's gaze snapped back up to the woman's concealed face as the mysterious kunoichi shifted her stance, raising her hand in a brief wave.

"Yo, I'm back," the silver-haired jounin greeted her Hokage nonchalantly, though her gaze never left her novel's pages, "and mission successful."

The Sandaime raised his bushy eyebrows at her. "I heard you returned much earlier this morning, at which time you were supposed to report to me if I recall correctly. That being the case, you're late..." Though his words were reprimanding, Sarutobi's eyes were filled with humor. "As usual..."

The woman finally looked up and scratched the back of her head with her free hand, laughing nervously. "Ah, yes, about that... My apologies, but you see the new novel in this series I'm reading had finally come out while I was away, but the store didn't open until 7..."

Nariko stared in awe at the woman, tuning out her excuse and instead admiring the female jounin's entrance.

_'Whoa... That was so cool! How'd she just appear like that?' _The girl smiled, continuing to stare at her. _'Hey, hey, I wonder if she'd teach _me _how to do that!' _

The young genin snickered to herself. Imagine the pranks she could pull with something like _that _within her arsenal. She'd never get caught!

"So, as you can see, I tried to get here as quickly as I could, but you know how persistent elderly women can be when-" the female jounin halted in her explanation on hearing a snicker echo within the room. She glanced away from the Hokage and towards the figure before his desk, finally acknowledging the blonde that stood there.

_'Well, well, well... Who do we have here?' _the jounin thought to herself.

The Third noted the direction of the silver-haired female's gaze. "First off, Kairi, you're excused, but perhaps you should have given that woman directions sooner?" He gave her a pointed glance, though his dark eyes laughed.

Kairi chuckled and nodded. "Yes, of course. I'll keep that in mind next time."

"And second," the Sandaime continued, motioning towards the orange-clad genin before him. "This is Nariko. I'm sure you've heard of her." He smiled wryly. "She has a habit of making herself well-known..."

Kairi's eyebrows rose; or so Nariko assumed as she could only see one. "Oh, really now?" The woman glanced at the preteen. "So, you're the one I heard painted the great wall around Konoha a couple days ago. People have been talking about it since I returned..."

Nariko laughed and grinned. "Yep, that's me! Uzumaki Nariko, future Hokage of Konoha and master prankster!" She placed a hand on her hip and reached up to adjust her headband with the other. "And also now officially a kunoichi of the Leaf!" The blonde-haired child stuck out her tongue and giggled, eyes going shut as she did.

"Oh, really now?" Kairi replied, eying the young girl. _'So, this is her. The girl with the Kyuubi sealed inside her, and also...' _She trailed off, frowning slightly at the thought, though it went unnoticed with the dark mask covering most of her features.

"Yep!" Nariko nodded. "No doubt about it!"

The blonde opened her mouth, as if to speak again, but Sarutobi interrupted her. "Nariko, shouldn't you be on your way to class? You're being assigned to your squad today, am I correct?"

The young girl froze at his words, pausing for just a split-second before whipping her head towards the clock on his wall. She shrieked, the time on the clock's face finally registering within her mind.

"_Oh no__!_" she squealed in panic and shock. "I've gotta go! I can't miss team assignments!" Within seconds, she vanished through the door. "Bye, Old Man!"

Kairi and the Sandaime watched the opening as the girl's frantic wails and pounding footsteps faded away. Sarutobi chuckled and smiled, before turning to look at the silver-haired woman once more. "So, what are your thoughts?"

The female jounin turned to glance at him, her single eyebrow quirked. "Well, I'll say this much: she's definitely interesting..." She gave the elderly man a faintly-disbelieving look. "Hokage? Really?..."

The Third smiled again. "It's been her dream for a long time now, and she seems absolutely certain that she'll succeed."

"Mm..." Kairi hummed dubiously, returning to her book. "She's a strange one, alright. Are you sure you wish to assign her to me, though? I'd think you'd want to place her with someone whose test she actually has a _chance_ of passing..."

The Hokage tilted his head towards her. "Don't underestimate her, Kairi. She's very persistent and there's more to her than meets the eye." He laced his fingers together on his desk. "That and her soon-to-be former teacher has informed me she may very well have more potential than we originally thought."

Kairi cocked her head slightly in response. "Perhaps, but I believe I should be the judge of that, don't you think?"

Sarutobi smiled. "Yes, I suppose that's true, but I believe these three might be different." His expression sobered. "Kairi, these children... they're special cases, diverse from their classmates in their own way. Each has their own baggage to carry, and it's going to be up to you to guide them."

He frowned at her. "None of your squads have ever passed their first test. Are you sure you're going to be up to the challenge if these three succeed?"

"I wouldn't worry about that," Kairi replied, her single eye still latched upon the pages of her book as she soaked up each word. "I think I'd be more concerned about their physical and mental health once I'm finished with them..."

The Sandaime sighed. "Try not to be too harsh. We _really _don't need a repeat of last time..."

The female jounin smiled at him, the action only obvious by the crinkle of her visible dark orb. "I make no promises."

Even so, she glanced back at the doorway from which Nariko had left.

_'Very interesting girl. Noisy and a bit annoying, but...' _she thought, returning to her novel. _'Somehow I fear I'll be seeing a bit more of her than I'd planned...'_

oxoxo

Nariko sat on the far edge of one of the benches, kicking her feet in a hopeless attempt to entertain herself. She sighed, having failed miserably in said attempt. She was _still _bored...

The blonde glanced around the crowded and bustling classroom. She had skidded through the door in record time and, on spying the clock, had been immensely relieved to realize that not only was she on time, she was actually ten minutes early! On the downside, that meant spending the remainder of that god-awful long time—or so it was in Nariko's opinion, at least—waiting for Izumi to arrive and announce the squads.

The whiskered girl pouted, slouching so that her chin rested on the table, fingers clinging to the edge of her seat. Moaning softly, she glanced around again. However, she perked up instantly on seeing a particular preteen boy enter the room.

She grinned broadly, giggling to herself. _'Seiichi-kun!'_

Haruno Seiichi, the blonde's elder by eight months as well as her current crush, stood at the doorway, olive-green orbs drifting across the cluttered and noisy students. The bangs of his short pink hair, though the young boy was adamant that it was merely a light red, fell into his eyes, and he paused briefly in his scan of the classroom to blow them from his face. He frowned as the rose-colored locks fell right back where they had started, but refused to brush them away with his hand or tuck them behind his ear as he deemed the actions too "girly."

He shifted slightly, rippling the cloth of the red, short-sleeved shirt he wore and the four white circles, which had long been assumed to be his family crest, that were imprinted upon his stomach, back, and each of the clothing's sleeves, which were lined at the bottom by a strip of white. Fitting his hips and ending just above his knees were a pair of dark-green shorts, the standard bandages and kunai case attached to his right thigh, fitting the viridian cloth to his leg.

Despite the fact that Seiichi wore the traditional shinobi gear like every other ninja, his headband remained one article that was not standard. The thin metal and cloth did not rest on his forehead, but instead resided over his left shoulder: an unusual placement even by the standards of most nin, which truly meant something as most ninja tended to go odd at some point in their careers, though this point typically was reached once one attained the rank of jounin.

Of course, Seiichi thought nothing of this, his mind instead preoccupied with the task of finding exactly who he was looking for.

His eyes finally locked on to his target, and he smiled. Ah, there she was.

Nariko gasped softly, grin widening as she noticed Seiichi's quick gait in her direction. She stifled a happy cry, pleased that he appeared to be taking notice of her, and stood, beaming at him excitedly.

"Hi, Seii-"

But the male preteen passed right by her, much to the young girl's chagrin. She frowned in confusion, turning her head to follow the pinket's designated path and wondering what could possibly hold his attention so raptly...

Her face immediately fell into that of a scowl. Oh, great; it was _her_.

Uchiha Sakaye, the top kunoichi in their class and not to mention the most sought after one, sat three rows back, legs crossed neatly beneath the table and expression vaguely annoyed. Just one glance and it didn't take a genius to realize why the girl was thought to be the most attractive in the whole Academy.

She had thick black hair pulled back into a high, but short pony tail that reached the top of her shoulders if released. Long lashes hovered over dark, slanted eyes and contrasted sharply with her pale skin, and her slender fingers laced together beneath her nose, elbows resting lightly upon the desk.

Hidden behind the appendages, a pair of full lips formed a faint frown, placed there by her obvious irritation to the clustered bodies and noisy atmosphere. A navy blue shirt left unzipped to her collarbone clung to her torso, revealing a fit waist and well-developed chest, much to the displeasure of the many female members of her class.

Nariko herself couldn't help but subconsciously cross her arms over her smaller and just-developing bust. Not that the blonde _wanted_ to be top heavy. Of course not! That would have been ridiculous...

The sleeves of the navy cloth cut off at Sakaye's elbows, revealing an inch of pale skin before nearly disappearing beneath a pair of fishnet gloves that halted at the middle of each finger. The shirt fit neatly over a pair of tan capris, embellishing her nicely-curved hips, which were yet another reason for the girls within the room to scowl and the boys to stare.

Unfortunately, the ebony-haired preteen seemed unhappy with the extra attention, for she shot a cold glare towards a pair of her male classmates whose gaze had lingered just a little too long, a little too low.

Seiichi easily slid onto the bench beside Sakaye, giving her a pleased smile. "Hi, Sakaye-chan. Is this seat taken?"

The girl only spared him a brief glance before returning her eyes to the front of the room, awaiting their teacher's arrival.

The boy's cheek twitched slightly at the lack of response, but he didn't falter, instead giving a sort of half-laugh that almost seemed nervous. "Right. Of course it's not taken. It's not like you'd be saving it for anyone, right? You usually sit alone..."

He smiled at her again. "But seeing as no one's sitting here, I figured you wouldn't mind..."

Silence.

The pinket forced out that strange half-laugh again, feeling a little more uncertain, though he quickly shook it off. "So, uh... I hope we're placed on a team together. Wouldn't that be cool?"

No answer.

Even unable to hear Seiichi's words over the noise of the room, Nariko's mood dramatically worsened. Why should Sakaye get Seiichi's attention instead of her? What was so great about that stupid Uchiha anyway? She never talked to anyone, and she always had that irritated expression all the time. What was so amazing about that?

The blonde's face darkened as she sulked. _'Stupid Uchiha isn't _that _pretty. I mean, come on, I'm so much cuter than her and definitely a whole lot nicer! What could Seiichi-kun _possibly_ see in her?'_

Having either taken notice of Nariko's glare or grown tired of ignoring it, the dark-haired girl turned her head to return it, annoyance prominent within her eyes. She didn't speak, only frowned, eyebrows drawn sharply downward.

The orange-clad girl bristled, her dislike of the preteen increasing tenfold with each moment they stared each other down, sparks beginning to almost literally fly between the two. This lasted a mere few seconds until the Uchiha's eyebrow twitched.

The gesture, small as it was, irked Nariko more than anything else thus far, and near instantaneously, she appeared on the desk before the other girl, pointing down at her angrily.

"You... You..." Nariko growled. "I don't _like _you! You tick me off!"

Sakaye raised her eyebrows slightly, face clearly expressing her irritation at being pointed and yelled at. "And you expect me to care?"

Nariko's nostrils flared in frustration at the girl's apparent indifference. "For one, yeah! _And _I expect you to stop being such a stuck-up brat, too!" She released a vexed noise. "God, do you have any idea how _annoying _you are?"

Sakaye narrowed her eyes. "You're the one who's being annoying, you dead-last ditz."

The blonde bristled once more, though this time in indignation. She dropped down into a crouch upon the table, glaring into the eyes of her self-proclaimed rival. "_What_ did you just call me, you self-centered-!"

"Nariko, knock it off!" Seiichi snapped, giving the girl an annoyed glare of his own. "Would you leave her alone? She didn't do anything to you!"

The preteen turned to her crush, frowning. "But Seiichi-kun, she just called me a-"

"_You_ called her a brat first!" the boy retorted angrily. "Now, cut it out!"

"But Seiichi-kun, _she _started it!" the blonde pouted childishly, pointing at the female Uchiha.

"I don't care!" Seiichi growled. "Besides, Nariko, _you're_ the one who came over here telling her that you didn't like her!" He shook his head, irritated by the orange-clad girl before him. "Geez, you're so annoying sometimes..."

The girl's shoulders drooped dramatically, and her bottom lip quivered almost-comically. "Seiichi-kun, you can't mean that..."

He glared at her. "Just sit down, will you? Sensei's about to hand out assignments."

"But-" the blonde protested.

"Nariko, what are you doing on that desk!" the aforementioned sensei cried as she entered the room. "Get down from there now!"

"But Izumi-sensei!" the orange-clad girl cried, pointing at Sakaye once more. "She-"

"Nariko, leave Sakaye alone and get in your seat!" Izumi frowned, expression stern and hands on her hips.

The preteen turned her head to glare at the female Uchiha again.

"_Nariko_..." their teacher warned.

"Hmph!" the blonde huffed, hopping down from the table to seat herself beside Seiichi, much to the male genin's displeasure.

Nariko merely crossed her arms sulkily, slouching at her place on the bench. _'Stupid Sakaye-gaki*... Why does everyone always take _her _side?' _She leveled another glare towards the dark-haired kunoichi, but an annoyed look from Seiichi made her hunch her shoulders and look the other way.

_'Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ Sakaye-gaki...'_

She could only hope that the Squad assignments would be better.

o

o

* _-gaki_: Means Brat; a suffix of Nariko's own creation, used solely for Sakaye

oxo

**Fun Facts:**

– I had much difficulty with the name of this chapter, as well as this chapter in general. The title is indeed lame and meant to point out the new characters introduced. My difficulty with the chapter itself involved the fact that I literally rewrote this about 3 times. First time I had to rewrite the Kairi and Nariko scene because for some reason the two didn't want to get along and that wasn't how I wanted their relationship to be. Second, I didn't like the beginning of this chapter, so I had to rewrite that. Lastly, the introduction of Seiichi and Sakaye just, in general, turned out badly, so I had to rewrite that as well. _**Sighs.**_ I couldn't get Seiichi and Sakaye right. I think I was so used to writing Nariko and so unused to writing them that I had difficulty grasping their personalities. I've gotten the hang of them in future chapters though, which is a relief.

– Kairi's entrance is based on Kishimoto's anecdote, found in _Naruto Volume 1_, on Kakashi's original first appearance. Kakashi was going to be introduced before Sakura and Sasuke at the point where Naruto first meets Konohamaru. I presume the Kakashi introduction would have taken place instead. Following with that, I almost had Kairi coming through the window as well, but I figured Nariko, being the oblivious blonde she is, wouldn't notice such a quiet entrance, so I had Kairi poof up behind her instead.

– This is actually not our first glimpse of Seiichi and Sakaye. They were first referenced to in Chapter 2, when Izumi entered the chaos of the classroom. Sakaye was one of the quiet students Izumi mentally thanked she had, and Seiichi was the "annoyed, green-eyed male."

– Seiichi was actually first mentioned in Chapter 1 as Nariko was painting Konoha's Great Wall. She likened the "ghastly shade of neon pink" she had chosen to his hair, dreamy sigh included. Seiichi is, thus far, the only character to have had his name mentioned in a chapter before and separate from when he himself has been seen.

– Kairi has a habit of saying _"Oh, really now?"_ just as Izumi had a habit of saying _"Is that so?"_ as mentioned in Chapter 3. Perhaps it's a teacher thing.

– (I actually did end up doing the below because I decided I preferred 'pinket' as a male version.)

I almost changed Seiichi's "pinkette" to "pinket" in what I would assume would be the correct, male version of that word, but it looked too strange to me and so I have left it as it is. I suppose doing so would be similar to using "blond" instead of "blonde" as I have when needed, but I've been using "brunette" instead of "brunet," which also looks strange, so unless determined otherwise, that is how it will stay.


	7. Almost kiss

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:**We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 7: _Almost-kiss_

(Completed: 08-05-09)

x

x

"_She could only hope that the Squad assignments would be better."_

They weren't.

Nariko sat in her seat, body tense, arms crossed, and positively fuming. How could they? How could she? How could Izumi _do_ this to her!

This was criminal! It was insane! Who was stupid enough to place her on a team with _Sakaye?_

Okay, so she had to admit that she had been thrilled when her name had been called after Seiichi's—what more could a girl ask for when she was placed on a team with her crush?—but then... then Izumi just _had_ to say that stupid Uchiha's name.

Her mood had been ruined near instantaneously. How was she supposed to get Seiichi to like her if that brat was on their team?

Nariko narrowed her eyes, tuning out Izumi's explanation on how they would meet their jounin, and turned her gaze instead to glare at Sakaye. At the same time, she couldn't help but notice Seiichi's smug grin as he turned in his seat to smirk at his aggravated, blond rival.

The pinket's elation only proceeded to worsen Nariko's mood, and she slid down in her seat so that her chin landed on the desk with a soft thump. She sniffed dramatically, bottom lip pushed out as she prepared to wallow in her new-found sorrow.

However, Izumi's voice broke through her self-pitying fog. "Now, we're going to have a quick break for lunch," the chunin said, hands on her hips and the papers listing the genin teams still clutched within her fingers. "You may leave the classroom, but I expect you back here in one hour, no later. At that time, your jounin instructors will begin to arrive, at which point you will leave with them to..."

The blonde blinked, once again tuning the chunin out in favor of a plan that had begun to form within her mind. She perked up, a grin slowly consuming her features as she glanced from Sakaye to Seiichi.

Lunch break, huh?

oxoxo

_Sneak. Sneak._

_Narrowed eyes._ "What do you th-"

_Spring._ _"**Raaaaargh!**_"

Numerous crashes and bangs echoed throughout the air, mingling with startled cries and scuffling feet.

And then...

Silence.

oxoxo

Haruno Seiichi was in a bad mood.

Actually, no, it wasn't even really that because a part of Seiichi was happy, really happy. What boy wouldn't be after learning he was going to be spending a great amount of time with _Uchiha Sakaye_? Yet at the same time, Seiichi was extremely annoyed, and the cause of that was also the reason for his foul temper.

Seiichi scowled, hunching his shoulders and shoving his hands deep within his pockets as he frowned in thought.

His name had been called first, and though he had prayed and prayed hard that the next name called would be Sakaye's, it had not been so. Instead another name had been called, the name of the person he liked the least and had prayed almost just as hard not to get...

Uzumaki Nariko, the #1 blonde annoyance and troublemaker of their class; no, better yet, their whole _grade!_ And to make matters worse, she appeared to have a _crush, _and on _him _of all people!

He swore his life had ended right then and there.

What was Sensei thinking, placing him on a team with _Nariko?_ There was no way they would ever get anything done with her going _ga-ga_ over him all the time.

However, he smiled on recalling the name announced after hers.

Uchiha Sakaye, the #1 rookie, top of their class, and most beautiful girl in their entire grade.

Seiichi grinned broadly. He had been thrilled on hearing her name as Sensei assigned her to the same squad as him. He had even forgotten that he was supposed to be groaning about Nariko being placed on his team.

But, of course, reality had just _had_ to come crashing down on him when, after a wonderful bout of gloating to his rival, he had glanced briefly to his right and spied the main source of his annoyance. Short term memory kicking in to gear, he had been swiftly reminded of who was to be his other teammate, and his mood had instantly soured.

His face darkened. It was just his luck, wasn't it? He had _the _Uchiha Sakaye on _his _team, and he couldn't do anything because he _had_ to get stuck with a pain like Nariko. That practically destroyed _anything _he had hoped to accomplish with the dark-haired Uchiha! How could he make a move on the girl if Nariko was there every step of the way? He couldn't have asked for a worse road block.

Seiichi scowled once more, growling as he took out his frustration upon a small stone that littered the path before him.

"Stupid Equivalent Placement," he grumbled, shoulders tense and frowning deeply. His mind—which was, quite honestly, a living dictionary after many years of hand raising and reciting the meanings of shinobi terms in class, coupled with his bookworm-ish hobby of reading any book he could get his hands on—defined the phrase against his will.

_Equivalent Placement: n. A specific placement used within the ranks of shinobi defined by the equality of power amongst the nin of the squad._

Though, Seiichi knew it probably should have read _genin _instead of _nin_. That particular definition of the word better applied to the first team assignment a shinobi faced, or more specifically, his genin squad.

The pinket's lip curled as he punted the pebble again. However, if you wanted to put the term simply, it meant placing the best student in the class, obviously Sakaye, and the worst student in the class, unfortunately Nariko, together on the same team.

Oh, the horror.

Seiichi bit back a groan. It really was just his luck, wasn't it? He should have known better. He had read the textbooks, learned the history; he _knew_ that was how the squads were assigned. He should have seen it coming, though really, how bad was his luck if the worst student was his biggest annoyance and the best his greatest pleasure?

He paused for a moment and blinked, grimacing at how the thought might sound to someone else's ears. The boy flushed slightly in response, hunching his shoulders. He hadn't meant it like _that_...

Not yet, anyway.

_**'Who said anything about yet? I definitely think it's for the here and **_**now****_...'_** a voice within his mind grinned broadly.

Seiichi blushed a little darker, thanking whoever listened that there wasn't a Kekkei Genkai that allowed people to read minds.

He shook his head hard and instead returned to the stone he had been kicking so insistently across the ground. Ignoring his growling stomach, he paused to watch the small rock skitter before taking up his pace again, but he pressed a hand to his grumbling midsection in acknowledgment.

Though Sensei had left them an hour to break for lunch after she had assigned the squads, Seiichi had not taken up her offer, being so irritated and occupied with his thoughts that he hadn't felt hungry enough to eat. So, forgoing his meal, he had followed many of his fellow peers out of the classroom, taking off on his own in the hopes of clearing his mind of his annoying dilemma.

Thus, there he was, unsuccessful and taking his frustrations out upon the pebble that lay innocently on the path ahead.

Nostrils flaring in a sudden fit of irritated anger, Seiichi drew back his leg and punted the stone as hard as he could, guaranteeing that it wouldn't come to a stop until _several_ feet before him, if it even stopped at all. Olive orbs followed the small rock as it bounced and skipped along the ground until, to his aggravation, it came to a halt.

Seiichi glared at the stone, stalking towards it to continue with his vehement kicks, but stopped on realizing that instead of the several feet he had predicted, the pebble had instead come to rest before two feet; a pair of feet, in fact, clad in navy-blue shinobi sandals.

On closer inspection, Seiichi came to realize that the appendages belonged to a very familiar form, one he recognized and had grown to know very well by sight alone in the past couple years...

"Sakaye-chan," he murmured softly, surprised to see the female Uchiha.

If the girl heard him speak her name, she gave no indication of it, instead continuing to stare at the cobbled path before her. Her hands rest gently in her lap, back bent slightly and thighs pressed together, her knees bent so that her toes balanced lightly on the ground, slightly turned inward.

Glancing at her face, Seiichi noted that her lips were placed in a faint frown and her eyebrows were furrowed, as if she were troubled over something.

The olive-eyed boy stared at her, debating with himself on whether to approach her or not.

_'Would she want me bothering her?'_ he questioned himself. _'Sakaye-chan always seems to prefer being alone, but...' _He frowned. _'I don't want to just stand here and do nothing. Besides, whatever she's thinking about seems to be really bothering her...'_

His brow crinkled in thought as the dispute went on within his mind. Would she be angry with him if he approached? Would she be relieved? Girls liked to talk about things that were worrying them, right?

Seiichi crossed his arms, staring at the ground as he puzzled it over. But then again, girls were strange in the first place, so what if she reacted entirely different from what he might expect? His eyes widened. Oh god, what if she started crying?

He looked uneasy at the thought. Sakaye didn't seem like the type to burst into tears, but she was a girl, and girls cried a lot, didn't they? So, what was he supposed to do if she got emotional? What if he made it worse? He wasn't exactly an expert on girls like his blond-haired rival was, so what if he screwed up? What if he-?

Seiichi paused. Then again, what if he was over-thinking it? This was Uchiha Sakaye he was talking about, after all. He honestly didn't think her to be the kind of girl to cry so easily, and besides, she didn't seem_ that_ upset...

The red-clad genin thought about it a moment more, pursing his lips. After several seconds of contemplation, he inhaled deeply, held it, and then released the breath, steeling his resolve. Alright, he was going in.

Coming to a stop before his crush and the pebble that rest at her feet, Seiichi stood facing Sakaye, his confidence wavering for a brief moment. Then, he shook his head once and hard, finally taking a seat beside her.

The dark-haired girl glanced at him, eyes flashing with surprise, though she quickly turned her face away—almost shyly Seiichi liked to think. The thought, whether it was true or not, made him feel better.

The male genin hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat softly. "Um... Hey, Sakaye-chan. How's it going?" He smiled at her, faintly nervous. Her response to him earlier that day had not exactly been inviting.

"...Fine."

Seiichi's eyes widened. That was new; Sakaye usually didn't answer him when he spoke to her. She usually responded with silence, so this was definitely a surprising development for him. Though, of course, that didn't necessarily make it an unwelcome one.

"Really?" he replied. "That's good..."

There was a moment of awkward quiet, and the young boy glanced at his crush, hoping to garner something from her expression. He was stunned when he saw the Uchiha's eyes swiftly dart away from his, suggesting that she had been watching him. Her form bent over a little further and her cheeks flushed lightly, fingers clutching her knees.

Seiichi couldn't help but grin. He had never seen Sakaye like this and it was almost... endearing. The boy laughed softly at the thought, and the dark-haired girl glanced at him.

"What?" she asked, curiosity shining within her dark orbs.

He smiled sheepishly at her. "Nothing. It's just... you're really cute when you blush, you know?"

His teammate's eyes widened and she looked away, though Seiichi liked to think he had seen her smile before she had done so.

The boy grinned at her. This was going way better than he thought it would. He had worried that it'd be _much_ more difficult to talk with her, but surprisingly, he was having relative ease with the task. That, and he had made her smile! Uchiha Sakaye! The corners of his own lips pulled further on his cheeks.

The pink-haired genin took in a deep breath. He had never expected things to go that well, so he wondered... Maybe now would be a good time to ask her out or tell her of his crush. He was mostly playing the situation by ear, but he figured this was how things usually went, so why not give it a shot?

Seiichi paused for a moment. But wait a minute... Didn't girls have a thing for romance? Did he have to ask her out romantically? A troubled frown tugged at his lips. Oh great, he hoped not. He didn't know how you were supposed to do that. How _would_ you do that? Would Sakaye care if he didn't? What if-

"Seiichi?" the object of his affections asked softly.

The pinket blinked, pulling himself back to reality to look at his crush. "Ah, yes?"

"...What do you think of me?" the Uchiha inquired, glancing at him strangely.

Seiichi blinked again. "Oh, well..." He shrugged sheepishly. "I kinda figured that was obvious... you know?" He laughed nervously, pushing his fingers back through his bangs.

She continued to stare at him expectantly.

"Well, I..." he hesitated, before taking a deep breath and steeling his resolve once more.

Thus, he forced himself to lock eyes with her, though the action knotted his insides. "I really like you. I've... actually liked you for a couple of years now." He shrugged in faint embarrassment, but smiled despite it. "I guess... you could even say... I have a crush on you, Sakaye-chan, but, um..." He trailed off, laughing and cheeks flushed.

Seiichi had turned his gaze away to somewhere towards his right so he was unable to view Sakaye's expression. Though he really wished he could see it, the nervous churning of his stomach kept him from turning back—his steeled resolve had lessened somewhat after he had gotten the words out.

After a few moments however, he decided to chance a look in her direction, but on glancing back towards the girl, he noted that her head was turned slightly so that his view was that of the back of her ear and cheek rather than her face as he had hoped. He frowned in disappointment. Was that good or bad?

The olive-eyed male shifted uneasily, his brain attempting to make sense of the matter. Was it normal for a girl to react like this when a guy confessed to her? Grimacing, he sighed.

Oh, what he wouldn't have given right then to be able to read minds... Furrowing his eyebrows at the odd sense of déja vu the wish brought him, he almost didn't hear his crush speak.

"What..." she trailed.

Seiichi perked up. "Yes?" he encouraged anxiously.

Much to his continued disappointment, she did not turn to face him and instead only bowed her head ever so slightly. "...What do you think of Nariko?"

The boy's eyebrows rose. What? Where had that come from all of the sudden? He frowned at the girl in confusion, but answered her anyway.

"Well, Nariko..." he began reluctantly, eyebrows knitted together. "She's pretty annoying. I mean, she's always yelling and screaming at you, and she's way too loud." The corners of his lips pulled down further as he thought the blonde girl over. "She's always getting in trouble and fawning over me..."

His expression darkened. "And then, there are those stupid pranks of hers. I mean, geez, so she can paint a wall. So what? _I_ could do that!" He shook his head in disdain. "You know, the only reason she's allowed to get away with it even a little is because she's an orphan."

He didn't notice how Sakaye stiffened at the word.

"I mean, really," Seiichi continued, scowling. "If I didn't have my mom to worry about, then I could probably go around pulling pranks too. Nobody wants to get on to the kid with no parents. They feel bad for them, so they let it go."

He crossed his arms, frown deepening further. "Nariko's lucky. She doesn't have to deal with parents or moms or any of the stuff that comes with it..." Seiichi shut his eyes, eyebrows drawing down firmly. "But she's so selfish. I don't see what she has to complain-"

"How... How can you _possibly _understand?"

The pinket, startled to hear the female Uchiha speak, jerked his head to look at her with wide, olive-green orbs.

The girl's eyes were shadowed, and she clutched the fabric of her capris tightly with her fingers.

"You," Sakaye continued, jaw clenched and trembling slightly, "have no_ idea_ how painful it is to have no one to come home to. Being alone, that kind of loneliness... It just _kills_ you inside."

Seiichi watched on, insides going cold as he remembered one little fact about Sakaye, an incident that had happened long ago...

He paled, recalling what he had read of it, the Uchiha Tragedy, or better known as the Uchiha Massacre. The genin swallowed hard. Though it never specified who had done the killing, Seiichi didn't need the library scrolls to tell him something he had known since the first and only week his crush had been absent from school.

Uchiha Sakaye was an orphan.

And here, he realized with no small amount of horror, he had ultimately just informed her she was better off that way. His guilt-ridden conscience beating him up for his mistake, Seiichi could only listen as the Uchiha continued.

"It's like a hole... a hole you can't fill because whatever, whoever is supposed to be there is... gone." Sakaye dipped her head lower. "Just gone."

Unable to take a moment more of his crush's pain, Seiichi reached out and placed a hand on her back. The girl tensed at the sudden contact, and hesitantly, the male genin looped his arm around her, the other also sliding about her form as he brought his new teammate into an awkward hug. He furrowed his eyebrows and swallowed hard. Girls liked this sort of thing, right? When they were upset?

Frowning uneasily, he tightened his grip, hoping it was the right thing to do.

"I'm... sorry," he whispered anxiously. "I didn't mean to make you upset... I just... I guess I'm just a little frustrated today and... well... that came up and I just... I didn't mean to, ah... hurt your feelings..." he finished lamely.

They both sat there, him awaiting her reaction as silence wrapped around them for not the first time that day.

Just as Seiichi had decided that perhaps he had made the wrong move, Sakaye leaned lightly into him, surprising the male pinket. He blinked, but didn't release her, instead smiling and praying that this was a sign she had accepted the small bit of comfort and not one that meant she was contemplating the best way to kill him for the intrusion into her personal space. The thought made him gulp.

However, he took yet another deep breath, also not for the first time that day, deciding it wouldn't hurt to continue what he had left unfinished earlier in their conversation.

"I really do like you... A lot, actually," he said softly. "You... your opinion, it matters to me. I've just... always wanted your acknowledgment and respect, you know? Your opinion _really_ means a lot to me..."

"Seiichi," Sakaye cut in. "I..."

The pink-haired boy silenced and waited nervously.

"I really like you, too," the kunoichi replied, just as softly. "I've actually... liked you for a while now. I mean..."

The female Uchiha hesitated, as if uncertain of her words, but Seiichi just smiled and pulled away. She seemed surprised by the loss of his arms, but even more so when he touched her cheek.

The male preteen grinned at her. "I..." He laughed, half-embarrassed with himself for being so nervous, before carefully curling his fingers under her jaw, sliding them down so they hooked under her chin.

For the first time in his life, he thanked his mom for forcing him through all those chick flicks of hers as the dark-haired girl blushed, the rush of blood all the more prominent because of her pale complexion. However, his own actions surprised him. When had he gotten so bold?

"I'm really glad to hear that," he said sincerely.

Watching as the female preteen's eyes fluttered shut, his stomach turned pleasantly in anticipation and he swallowed hard.

Alright, this was it. This was the moment he had been waiting for, the moment where he would finally get to be Uchiha Sakaye's first kiss! They had barely been teammates for an hour and already he would be able to claim what no other guy could. He would practically be a legend!

But the thoughts faded from his mind as he glanced down at her lips, and he grinned on realizing he would get to find out if they really _were_ as soft as they looked.

Eyelids lowering, he dipped his head towards hers. "...Sakaye-chan..."

Suddenly, the Uchiha froze, startling the pink-haired boy before her. He blinked down at the dark-haired girl, opening his eyes.

"Hey..." Seiichi said, brow crinkling with worry. "What's wrong?"

His crush sat there, clutching the fabric of his shirt, her cheeks still flushed as she stared at it with a strange, dazed expression, almost as if she had never seen it before. "I..." She paused, bowing her head. "...I have to go."

Within moments, she had pulled herself from his arms and taken off down the stony path from which he assumed she had come.

Seiichi watched stunned as she walked away from him, until finally, the Uchiha disappeared around the corner.

"...What?" he whispered softly.

He looked down at his arms, which resided in the same position they had been in when he had held her, as if she had never left. Slowly, he let the limbs fall to his sides, confusion causing his eyebrows to furrow and yet another frown to form upon his lips. Sitting alone, expression puzzled, Seiichi mulled the situation over in his mind.

_'What just happened?'_ he thought to himself, leaning back against the bench and crossing his arms. _'She just... left... But _why _would she...?'_

He narrowed his eyes, turning it over in his mind as he tried to think up an explanation.

_'I wonder... Maybe... This _is _her first kiss, or so I hope, of course, but... Maybe she's just nervous about giving it away?...' _He tilted his head to one side, playing with the idea. Wasn't the first kiss supposed to be a big deal for girls? They didn't like giving it away so easy, right? So... Maybe she _was_ just nervous. Maybe she just wasn't ready to give it away yet?

Seiichi allowed that thought to settle in his mind. Yeah, that sounded about right. That sounded like something a girl, especially one like Sakaye, would do or be worried about. Not that he really knew much about girls, but it seemed to make sense. He briefly smiled to himself. Weird, but he supposed it was kind of cute...

Though he really would have liked to kiss her.

He sighed, shaking his head as he stood. Oh well, he supposed he'd just have to try that much harder to be her first.

The male genin grinned, recalling that they were now members of Team Seven. It was a good thing they were on the same squad or he wouldn't know how he'd manage to be around her enough to get to something like that.

Seiichi frowned again. Though, of course, he still had Nariko to worry about. Releasing a weary sigh, he turned to walk down the path that led back to the Academy. Ah well, he guessed he'd just have to figure something out.

After all, from the looks of it, he'd have _plenty_ of time to do it...

oxoxo

On returning to the classroom, Seiichi was surprised to see not Sakaye, not Nariko, but for some reason, _both _of his new teammates in bad moods.

His eyebrows drew down in confusion as he stepped through the doorway, eying the two curiously.

He thought he could figure out why Nariko was in a bad temper. After all, she had seemed very irritated when finding out she had been placed on a team with the Uchiha. Sakaye, on the other hand... Seiichi frowned. Did their almost-kiss really upset her that badly? He knew it was her first, but would it really be so bad if he was the one to take it?

Glancing around for a moment, he huffed quickly on his hand and sniffed. No, his breath was fine, so it couldn't be that.

He sighed, deciding to press his luck, as he made his way up the steps and to the bench where the kunoichi sat. Sliding in beside her, he smiled at the female Uchiha, deciding that maybe he shouldn't mention it. She had seemed rather embarrassed when she had left.

A few rows ahead of them, Nariko turned her head back to scowl at the dark-haired girl. Seiichi frowned, which he seemed to be doing a lot recently, at the sight—the anger seemed a bit much for simply being placed on a team with the Uchiha—as the blonde turned her head back to the front. Sakaye shifted her gaze away from the fuming girl, eyes sliding shut.

Seiichi furrowed his eyebrows at the action, glancing inquisitively at the Uchiha. Was she really just going to dismiss him like that? He had already agreed that he wouldn't mention the almost-kiss.

...But then again, she didn't know that, did she?

He opened his mouth to not only reveal that little fact to her, but to question the girl's sudden reversion to her usual indifferent state, when suddenly the door opened, the first of the jounin filing in to claim their students.

The pink-haired genin perked up, curious to see the higher-level ninja and also hoping to catch sight of their own amongst the crowd.

His attention diverted, the words faded into the back of his mind.

Forgotten.

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– I could think of nothing better for the title of this chapter. I hope you can forgive me for that. I know it's really lame... I can also assume that you figured out where I was going with this chapter by the title alone. _**Laughs.**_

– I do not expect many, if any, of my male readers to like this chapter. **_Grins wryly._**

– Seiichi is very intelligent and is quite prone to over-thinking things as a result, as seen here quite clearly. Also, he is indeed an avid reader, or bookworm if you prefer the term, and with his sharp memory, he is very good at reciting information and definitions. It is actually rumored that he's read through the dictionary before, perhaps even more than once.

– Originally this chapter began with the line _"__Haruno Seiichi was in a bad mood." _which would have incidentally made it a Seiichi-centric chapter from solely his Point-of-View. However, I decided I needed a little more filling at the beginning than just what I had and got the idea to create the two beginning scenes. I'm much happier with it now.

– This chapter is a very good example of how the storyline is a bit more Shoujo-y, which I warned about in a previous Fun Facts I believe, due to the increased number of females. Do not be surprised if other portions of the story are more emotional and Shoujo-ish than would be normal in the Canon Universe, where the majority of the characters are male.


	8. Introductions

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:**We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 8: _Introductions_

(Completed: 08-14-09)

x

x

Three hours, thirty-two minutes, and an ever increasing forty-six seconds...

_That_ was how long Team Seven had been waiting on their new, and extremely late, jounin sensei.

Nariko, ever the bundle of energy, alternated between fidgeting and pacing, her inability to stay still almost as painfully obvious as her intense boredom—the latter was more apparent by the random doodles and squiggly words that had accumulated on the room's chalkboard.

Seiichi, though immensely irritated with their teacher's tardiness, found himself more focused on his growling stomach than his annoyance.

The pink-haired boy grimaced and clutched at his middle, biting back a moan. He now wished more than ever that he had eaten lunch before he had left. He gave the blonde before him, who had returned to her aggravated pacing, a half-hearted glare. If she hadn't been placed on his team, then he wouldn't have been too frustrated to eat and he could have allowed himself to mull over their sensei's continued absence instead of his vengeful stomach.

Unfortunately, the girl was oblivious to his irritated glare, instead continuing on in her quick gait, back and forth at the front of the class.

Seiichi glanced at the ebony-haired kunoichi on his left.

Unlike her teammates, the Uchiha appeared indifferent to the lateness of their squad leader, her face showing only a slight that was because the jounin was keeping them waiting or because it was the usual look upon her face, the male pinket wasn't sure, but it was there nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Nariko continued to pace, shoulders tense as she grumbled to herself. What was taking their teacher so long? Everyone else had already gone and left, so where was their sensei?

The blonde frowned, glaring at the ground as she turned on her heel to stalk in the other direction. After a few minutes of this, the girl huffed and returned to her seat, having grown tired of walking at the front of the room. She plopped herself down, crossing her arms and pouting, though she continued to shift positions every minute or so.

This was nuts! They couldn't keep her cooped up in there forever! Already Nariko was sure that was exactly how long she—and her new teammates, she had to remind herself—had been waiting. She scowled at the door, which remained innocently closed.

_Where_ was their jounin sensei?

"So, Sakaye-chan, where do you think our teacher is?"

The blonde's ears perked up on hearing her crush speak, and she glanced in the boy's direction.

Apparently, Seiichi had grown tired of the quiet, which was only disturbed by the sound of Nariko fidgeting where she sat or her huffs and frustrated groans when she stood and made her way down to the front. Thus, he had turned to the only person nearby in an attempt to strike up a conversation.

Unfortunately, that same person was Uchiha Sakaye; quiet, anti-social, "Keep the fuck away from me and shut your mouth before I glare you into oblivion" Uchiha Sakaye.

The blue-eyed genin snorted lightly. Yeah, good luck getting _her_ to reply. Even so, Nariko gave the girl a dirty look when she didn't respond to the male preteen.

Seiichi merely continued to smile at his teammate, though he almost regretted speaking. So, okay, maybe he _did_ manage to get her to converse with him earlier, but nothing seemed forthcoming this time around. Maybe there was some sort of quota on how much she could talk in a day?

The pinket had to keep himself from frowning thoughtfully, instead forcing his nervous half-laugh. Better a nervous something than nothing at all, right?

His gaze flickered towards the object of his affections, trying not to be intimidated by her apathy. Lack of response didn't necessarily mean she wouldn't _ever_ speak, right? She might come around eventually and if there was one thing Seiichi could claim to be, other than smart or charming, the latter of which was more wishful thinking than anything, it was persistent.

"More than three and a half hours and we're _still_ waiting," the male genin continued with an irritated smile. "You'd think a jounin would know how to be on time, wouldn't you? It's practically Shinobi Rule #1..." He frowned. "Well, actually, it's Shinobi Rule #18, but you get my point, right?"

The raven-haired girl didn't reply.

"Uh... So..." Seiichi grinned anxiously, pushing his fingers back through his hair, something he had a habit of doing when he grew nervous. "It's pretty annoying. You'd think a jounin of all people would know how to follow the rules, wouldn't you?"

Silence.

The boy swallowed. "I'd think that's a pretty bad sign. It makes you wonder what kind of teacher this person must-"

He cut off when the female Uchiha glared darkly at him.

"Just shut up," she told him simply, but coldly, "and leave me alone." With that said, she returned her gaze to the front, though her mood seemed a little worse than before.

Nariko didn't take very kindly to that, standing up and glowering at the other kunoichi. The blonde raised a fist and whipped her hand around to point with the other. "Hey, don't talk to Seiichi-kun like that! He's just trying to be nice to you!"

The orange-clad genin placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at the pale girl. "Personally, I don't get why he'd bother with a brat like _you__!_ You don't deserve it at _all_ with the way you act-"

"Lay off, Nariko! I don't need you to protect me, _okay!_" Seiichi snapped, already confused and frustrated with Sakaye's returned coldness—which he also quietly noted was, however impossible it seemed, even worse than before. That, coupled with his embarrassment at having a girl try to defend him against his crush of all people, especially when he found himself perfectly capable of the act if he needed it, which he didn't, and his temper greatly soured.

The blonde jerked back slightly, as if he had slapped her, hurt flashing through her eyes before she slowly sat herself down. She grew quiet, unusual enough for the noisy genin, but even her fidgeting came to a halt, something that was nearly unheard of.

Seiichi frowned, turning his gaze away, and crossed his arms upon the desk, not liking the guilt that rose up within him. On spying Sakaye out of the corner of his eye, he was reminded of their conversation earlier that day.

"_What... do you think of Nariko?..."_

He grimaced, recalling his response, the thoughts he had spoken aloud about his blonde teammate and the apparently touchy subject about orphans, which he had inconveniently forgotten at the time. Thinking about that brought Sakaye's own words to mind, and the table came into view as he lowered his head, his cheeks flushing slightly with shame.

From his perspective, he didn't think he had been particularly callous or insensitive about Nariko's lack of parents. He just didn't believe she should get away with the things she did because of it. It was only fair she be punished for things she did wrong, and no sob story or excuse should make her any sort of exception.

He had been honest when he had told Sakaye that he thought Nariko lucky for it. In his defense, anytime he had seen the girl, she had been smiling or laughing or escaping from some prank or other. Even when Sensei had assigned the girl some form of punishment, the blonde had acted like it was a joke, like she actually _enjoyed _Sensei yelling at her or the consequences of her actions.

Seiichi scowled lightly. He hated to admit it, but there were actually a few times he had been envious of the blue-eyed girl. How could she grin when being scolded by a teacher? How could she enjoy getting in trouble? It just... It didn't make sense to him! Any time he had been lectured by his mom—because no way had he ever done anything to ruin his record at the Academy—as much as he disliked it, he had always felt bad and as if he hadn't accomplished anything by doing wrong.

He always hated that feeling. Even when he won an argument with his mom, it always felt like a hollow victory, so how could Nariko always seem so pleased with herself? How could she always look so happy about it?

He had wondered about it for months until he had concluded that it must be her lack of parents. What else about them was all that different, other than the obvious, such as gender and grades?

So, he had disliked her for it—even he agreed that hate was a bit too strong a word.

He disliked that she always got away with things, because even when she was punished, she still acted as if she were victorious, like it was some sort of special privilege to be made to stay after school or to be yelled at or to clean up her messes.

He disliked that she always seemed so happy about nearly _everything_, as if she didn't seem to understand something as simple as guilt, thus making it so easy for her to complete her pranks and jokes that very few found funny. He would have said none at all, but he had caught a few of his classmates suppressing giggles.

He disliked that he had never seen anything other than that stupid grin or the childish glares or the pouts, though he was so sure there must be nothing she really had to sulk or complain about. Why else would she seem so happy all the time?

He disliked that even with the lowest grades, few friends—if she had any at all, that was—and a label of "Troublemaker," she still seemed to milk every drop of fun from her twelve year old life.

He just... he couldn't _stand_ it. How could he believe being an orphan was so bad when Nariko was grinning and laughing every time he saw her?

Just... _How_?...

He frowned, eying Sakaye from the edge of his vision. How could the Uchiha's words be true? How could it be possible? It couldn't be... Could it? He glanced at the blonde, his brow crinkling.

"_Being alone, that kind of loneliness... It just _kills_ you inside."_

His frown deepened. There was no way Nariko could feel like that, not in a million years. She was just... too happy. It wasn't possible. She really couldn't honestly feel that way... Not with the way she grinned... Not...

"_It's like a hole... a hole you can't fill because whatever, whoever is supposed to be there is... gone. Just gone."_

Seiichi tore his gaze away from the girl and dipped his head. It couldn't be... She couldn't... No way...

But his eyes didn't lie. The slumped shoulders, the almost-blank eyes, the unnatural stillness… It didn't make sense, but looking at her, he thought he could believe it.

This quiet, morose Nariko, this Nariko right before his eyes... She was new to him. Never, _never_ had he seen her without the smiles or giggles, the glares or pouts. This was different from the Happy Nariko or the Irritated Nariko or the Sullen Nariko, who really wasn't that upset but was just sulking for the sake of sulking.

This Nariko was genuinely upset, genuinely hurt by his snapping at her, genuinely...

...Genuinely _sad_.

Seiichi's shoulders slumped forward and his fingers dug into the skin of his still-crossed arms. This was why he hated girls—except for Sakaye, of course, though there were times he was a bit tempted. They were so confusing; he didn't understand them at all! They kept changing and he didn't like it. Really, just how was he supposed to keep up?

The pinket sighed softly, recognizing the pang in his chest as being the same remorse he had felt for Sakaye that day, though it was on a much smaller scale. Even so, it was there and annoyed him all the same.

He gave the table a half-hearted, sulky glare. It wasn't fair. Why did he have to be such a nice guy? Better yet, why did he even have to have a conscience?

Sighing through his nose this time, he gave the blonde a half-irritated, half-tired look. He supposed he should get it over with. It was going to bother him if he didn't.

"Nariko..." he said reluctantly.

The blonde looked up in surprise, blinking a few times just to make sure he had spoken. Even when she realized he actually had, she still looked confused. "Yeah, Seiichi-kun?"

Seiichi hesitated, a part of him honestly not wanting to apologize, just to leave it be and forget about it, but...

He sighed, and with as much unwillingness as he could muster without making it obvious, he said, "I-"

The door to the classroom slid open with a snap, catching the attention of the three genin.

Nariko's eyes rounded in shock, and completely forgetting that Seiichi had just been speaking to her moments ago, she whipped her hand about to point at the figure that stood there. "_Hey, _you're that jounin from earlier!"

Kairi winced lightly, though it was hard to tell beneath her mask. "I see that your noisiness is a full time deal, not just an early morning one."

Seiichi gave the woman a strange look and muttered half to himself, half to Sakaye, "Is noisiness actually a word?..."

The jounin merely glanced at him. "Yes, actually, it is. It's right beneath noisy, labeled as a noun."

The male genin jolted, shocked that she had heard him since he had spoken so quietly and she stood all the way at the front of the room. _'How did she...'_

"Talent and practice," Kairi stated simply.

Seiichi now gaped at her.

_'**What the **_**hell!**_' _the voice within his mind, or his Inner as he preferred to call it, screamed.

Funny enough, Seiichi couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly.

Kairi placed her hands on her hips, eying the three before her with an almost lazy look. "So... you three are going to be my students, are you?"

Nariko jerked back, jaw dropping and eyes widening even further. "_You're_ our teacher? _**You**__?_"

The jounin glanced at her. "You have trouble with your _Inside Voice_, don't you?"

Seiichi stared mutely at the woman, not sure what to say. If she was their new sensei, that also meant she was nearly four hours late; but accusing her of such, as true as it was, might get him in trouble with her, and he wasn't the type to want to give a bad impression on their first meeting. After all, weren't first impressions supposed to be everything? From what he heard, few people ever forgot them.

_'What's a nice way of saying 'You're late. Where the hell were you?'" _Seiichi mulled within his mind. He shook his head lightly and eyed their teacher suspiciously, as if she might respond to those thoughts as well.

She did not, though he thought her visible eye might have held an amused glint within it.

But of course, Nariko ended up voicing the pink-haired boy's thoughts anyway.

"Hey!" she yelled, having made her way down to stand in front of the silver-haired woman at some point. The blonde scowled at the older kunoichi, placing her hands on her hips. "You're late! You're supposed to be our teacher, right? Where were you!"

The blonde lifted a hand to point. "We've been waiting here _forever, _and I know you should have been able to come!" She crossed her arms, glaring at the jounin. "_I_ saw you in the Old Man's office this morning, remember?"

Kairi glanced at Nariko, unimpressed. "You know, it's rude to point."

The young girl looked surprised for a moment, but then flushed and returned to glaring. "I'm not anymore, and you _still _didn't answer my question!"

The older kunoichi ignored her new student in favor of observing the other two.

Thus far, Nariko had been acting much like her original impression and the girl's Academy record had implied. Uchiha Sakaye and Haruno Seiichi on the other hand—She remembered their names from their own records—she couldn't be sure of yet, having just met them and hearing little from them in the way of speaking.

Though, she had to admit, messing with the male genin had been a little entertaining. She could still see the uncertainty and confusion reflected in his eyes.

Now, the Uchiha... Kairi glanced at the girl, trying to garner what she could from the dark-haired genin's expression. Unfortunately, Sakaye did not seem very forthcoming in that aspect. Other than the obvious annoyance she felt towards the jounin's late arrival, she seemed rather bereft of emotion.

Kairi gave them one last once over before smiling again. "Well, I think it's about time we got down to business, don't you?"

The three genin only eyed her curiously, wondering what she could possibly mean...

oxoxo

"You're kidding, right?"

Kairi turned her gaze towards the pink-haired boy seated on the far left. He seemed to realize that he had spoken aloud and shifted uncomfortably under her stare.

"What's wrong with it?" the jounin asked, tilting her head. "I thought it was a rather good idea."

Seiichi shifted again, resting his elbows on his knees, and looked at her uncertainly. "Well, nothing, I guess..."

The silver-haired woman smiled, her dark eye closing with the effort. "Good! With all concerns having been made, let's continue."

She leaned back against the railing that edged along the Academy roof, bracing her palms against the metal and crossing her ankles. "Now, as I was saying, I would like you to tell me a few things about yourself. First and foremost, your name, of course, but also your likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams, and so on."

_'**Bo-**_**ring**_**...**'_ Seiichi's Inner complained.

The genin did his best to ignore the voice, but grudgingly, he had to agree.

"And I'm thinking our little blonde should be first since she seems so eager to go," Kairi continued, glancing at the girl wryly.

Nariko, who had been bouncing lightly against the step in anticipation, grinned.

"I'm Uzumaki Nariko!" she proudly exclaimed. "I like ramen, practical jokes, and Seiichi-kun!" She grinned broadly at the boy, cheeks flushed a light pink.

Seiichi grimaced and looked away, groaning softly.

Nariko seemed undeterred by his actions, instead giggling to herself and turning back to their teacher.

The blonde thought about the next part for a moment and made a face. "I don't like the three minutes you have to wait for ramen to cook, or Mondays, because that's the day Ichiraku closes." She suddenly scowled, crossing her arms and turning her head to glower at the female Uchiha beside her. "But most of all, I don't like Sakaye-gaki."

The girl seemed unaffected by the blonde's words, keeping her gaze firmly locked on their silver-haired jounin. Seiichi, on the other hand, glared at the girl from Sakaye's other side, sending Nariko into a pout as she returned to their teacher.

The short genin perked back up as she proceeded through her hobbies and dreams. "My hobbies are pulling pranks and-" She cut off for a moment, frowning. "Well, um... that's actually it." She grinned sheepishly, sticking out her tongue and scratching her cheek as she giggled.

"And your dream?" Kairi questioned, focusing herself upon the young blonde.

She, of course, already knew the girl's dream. After all, Nariko had practically already told her herself, and she had heard it straight from the Third, but... somehow, she wanted to hear it from the genin word for word. Were her expectations _really_ that high? When even _she _hadn't been able to accomplish it in the end?...

Kairi frowned slightly, saddening at the thought of that woman and her lost dream. It seemed so unfair, but perhaps...

Nariko cut off her mind's wanderings with another broad grin. "My dream is to become not only the next, but first ever female Hokage of this village!"

The jounin couldn't help but smile a little, though not enough that anyone could tell she had. _'Looks like it was true, after all. This girl really does plan on-'_

"But it's also my dream to be even greater than one of the greatest heroes of this village!" Nariko beamed, eyes sparkling as she leaned forward excitedly. "My idol: the Fourth!"

Kairi blinked at the blonde, surprised by the sudden development. She stared at her for one, long moment. _'..._Very_ interesting girl, indeed.' _

The older kunoichi then shifted her gaze, pausing on the Uchiha for a moment, before proceeding to look at the sole male amongst them. "Alright, your turn now."

He straightened under her stare, a reflex he had developed as one of the higher-ranked students within the Academy. "My name is Haruno Seiichi. I like Umeboshi and good grades." He smiled. "There's actually _someone_ I like, but..." He grinned at Sakaye. "She already knows who she is..."

The dark-haired girl didn't spare him a glance as she continued to stare at Kairi, her nearly-trademark annoyed expression fastened upon her face.

The pink-haired boy didn't falter, though a frustrated confusion flashed through his eyes.

"I dislike my rival: Yamanaka Ikuo..." Seiichi gave a dirty look to what Kairi assumed was the aforementioned rival's image within his mind. "...being scolded or lectured, and..." The boy's eyes landed on the blonde on the other side of his crush. His face instantly became deprived of any emotion but irritation, and a tick started at his eyebrow.

"...Nariko," he said flatly.

"_**Heh?**_" the girl cried, a comical look of shocked despair upon her face.

The silver-haired jounin had to suppress a smile at this, proceeding to wait for the male genin to continue.

Seiichi ignored Nariko's cry, instead returning to their sensei once more. "And my hobbies? Well... I read a lot and I'm very good at memorizing things. I fight often with Ikuo, if you consider that a hobby, but..." He shrugged, sending a brief glance in Sakaye's direction, which lead Kairi to believe maybe he had another hobby or two he wasn't bothering to share.

"And my dreams..." the pink-haired boy trailed, frowning. "Well, I do have this one..." His gaze turned a little distant and his frown deepened. After a moment, he shook his head, freeing himself from whatever thoughts he had been immersed in. "But it's kinda personal."

He lifted his gaze to stare at their teacher again. "I actually have another though..." His eyes darted towards the Uchiha by his side, but he glanced away after a brief moment, eyebrows furrowed, eyes half-closed, and cheeks flushed just faintly in embarrassment. "But, uh, it's pretty personal too."

Kairi raised her eyebrows. "Oh, really now? Any that aren't so... _personal_ that you'd be willing to share then?"

Seiichi hesitated for a moment as he thought about it. "...I guess to be able to beat my rival one day in any way possible."

He lifted his chin at this, eyes hard. "I'm sick of losing to him. I wanna wipe that stupid, smug smirk right off his face." He paused before shrugging. "And probably knock his ego down a few notches."

Crossing his arms, Seiichi grumbled to himself. "Could definitely use it considering how _great_ he thinks he is, the stupid pretty boy..."

Kairi watched the boy in amusement for a moment longer, not failing to notice how he had glanced momentarily at Sakaye on saying "in any way possible."

Finally, she turned to the last member of the trio of genin, the dark-haired girl not once having removed the jounin from her line of sight.

The older woman cocked her head slightly, eying the Uchiha with a vague sense of curiosity. "Alright then, looks like you're up."

Sakaye, without relinquishing her gaze, proceeded through the words. "My name is Uchiha Sakaye. There is little I like and much I dislike, so I see no point in giving out either information. My hobbies are few and I find it none of your business what I do with my time. I don't have very many dreams, if any at all, and for that I do have, I doubt the label dream applies."

She shut her eyes for a brief moment before opening them once more to lock with the silver-haired jounin's single dark orb. "What I have would be perhaps better entitled as a goal or an ambition. Whatever you wish to call it, I have two things I wish to accomplish in life. One, the revival of my clan, and two, the most important..."

She paused and Kairi couldn't help but half-wonder if it wasn't for dramatic effect.

"...there is a person I plan to kill." Her eyes and face darkened, a cold chill entering her voice. "Their death is foremost within my mind and I will stop at nothing to have it ensured." Her expression tightened. "_**Nothing**_."

The rooftop was silent.

o

o

**Fun Facts: **

– The title of this chapter is very obvious, no?

– This is the first time Nariko mentions the 4th Hokage being her idol since discovering that he had sealed the Kyuubi inside her. That's 3-4 chapters of not knowing whether her feelings towards him have changed. Surprisingly, they appear to have not.

– This is not the first time Ikuo is mentioned. He was actually first referenced to in Chapter 2 as "one blond in particular who was smirking arrogantly," as were Seiichi and Sakaye and quite a few other students. The first member of the Rookie 9 referenced to, even before Nariko's introduction but excluding the baby Nariko at the very beginning, was actually Shinako, our female Shikamaru, in Chapter 1, seen sleeping after Izumi had told of the tale of the 4th Hokage. Her name has not yet been used in the story.

– Ikuo is the second person, after Seiichi, to have his name used in a chapter before and separate from the one in which he is first introduced, and he will not be seen for quite some time.

– I love the way this chapters ends. In fact, this chapter is one of my favorites.

– Yes, this chapter holds a good deal of Seiichi-centricness, regarding the large portion in the middle discussing his thoughts. The first arc was pretty much "Nariko!Nariko!Nariko!" so now that I have the others, I'm trying to go more into them and flesh them out. This arc is more Seiichi-ish, with a bit of Sakaye during the Bell Arc, and some Kairi. Sakaye will be delved into more in the Wave Arc.

– According to the Data Books, Sakura's favorite food is Umeboshi and her hobby is memorizing things.

– Nariko's other hobby, which she did not reveal in this chapter, is gardening. According to the Data Books, that is one of Naruto's and he's apparently quite good at it as well, if the deleted manga panel regarding it is any indication. Kishimoto had intended to have a panel for this in the first chapter, but ended up cutting it. The sketch of it can be found in _Naruto Volume 3_, as well as in _Naruto: The __Official Handbook_, which actually describes this hobby of Naruto's and the story I've told.

– Nariko cut off before getting to the hobby because it's a bit of a secret. Very few know anything about her love for plants.

– Seiichi bits seem to have a lot of question marks in them, perhaps due to his nature of over-thinking things, which leads him to question many things. Nariko is in a similar boat with her exclamation points.


	9. Bell Test, Part 1

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:** We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 9: _Bell Test __– __Part 1_

(Completed: 11-08-09)

x

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_'Two hours,' _Seiichi fumed within his mind. _'Two _hours_...__'_

Yes, once again, Team Seven was left waiting on their tardy jounin sensei to arrive. Though the scenery was different—a training ground rather than the class room of the day before—the question remained...

_Where_ was their teacher?

Seiichi glared at the dirt beneath his feet, arms crossed and shoulders hunched, as he leaned back against one of the trees surrounding the large practice area. His stomach growled angrily, fueling the irritation he felt towards the silver-haired woman. He clutched his midsection, grimacing at the sudden sense of déja vu that seemed to wash over him.

He couldn't believe he had actually followed Kairi's stupid instruction! Really, it was bad enough that he had only been able to pick at his dinner the other night, but for her to order them against eating breakfast? That made the entire situation _that_ much worse!

He carefully disregarded the fact that she had merely warned them against it than actually ordering them. How could he have eaten with the kind of description she had given of what was to come that day?

Shuddering lightly in memory of the brief but intimidating explanation, he turned his head to the side, scowling as he recalled her other words from the day before and the particular section of the instruction that was the true source of his annoyance.

"_Tomorrow, I want you three at Training Ground 32, bright and early, 0700 sharp. Don't be late~!..."_

The pink-haired boy snorted at the final portion to her directions. Don't be late... Right, _she _was the one who needed a lesson in punctuality!

_**'0700? Psh!**__' _his Inner growled. _**'It's **__**9 right **_**now**_**!**__'_

Seiichi had arrived there at seven sharp, just as their new sensei had asked, joining Sakaye who had been there long before him, which furthered the assumption he had made while in the Academy that the Uchiha was a stickler for being early.

About an hour or so later, Nariko had stumbled into the clearing in a sleepy panic—however she had managed _that_ oxymoron—and even then, at around eight in the morning and obviously late, the blonde had _still _been earlier than their teacher!

Seiichi gritted his teeth in frustration. He didn't like the looks of this. Thus far, the woman had been late for their two and only meetings with her. The pink-haired boy groaned at the thought. These were bad signs, he figured. _Bad _signs...

He reluctantly turned his eyes to the vacant space before him. Were they _really _going to have to face this every time they were arranged to meet?

Oh god, he hoped not...

In the meantime, Nariko sat at the base of a tree nearby, blinking her eyes blearily as she tried to wake herself up. Even half-asleep as she was, the blonde knew they had been waiting quite a while. She also knew that she had been late, and if _she_ had been late, then that meant that their teacher was also late...

_Very _late, in fact.

The young girl moaned softly and rubbed at her eyes. She was so tired... And hungry too! She placed a hand to her grumbling stomach mournfully. It was terrible. Today she had planned on stopping by Ichiraku's for breakfast, but after what Kairi had told them the other day, she had been unable to do so.

Her poor tummy growled painfully and almost sadly Nariko liked to think. The blonde sniffed and rubbed the cloth-covered skin above it, only hoping that the silver-haired jounin would arrive soon.

Sakaye briefly glanced in annoyance at the blonde on hearing the noise, but then returned her gaze to the vacant grounds before her, staring at nothing in particular and yet seeming intensely focused all the same. She rested against the trunk of an oak on Seiichi's other side, legs crossed and palms set lightly upon her knees.

Her eyes narrowed as she broke from her trance to scan the practice area. On seeing no sign of their absent jounin sensei, she returned her eyes to the front, seeming just a little more disgruntled than before.

Seiichi noted the action, also looking about the clearing ahead and gaining the same results. Sliding down to sit like his teammates with a frustrated sigh, he prepared himself for a long wait...

_**Poof. **_"Yo."

Early lethargy forgotten, Nariko was on her feet in seconds. "_You're late!_" she cried accusingly, jabbing her finger in the jounin's general direction.

Kairi raised her eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you it's rude to point?"

The blonde blinked at her, but glared again. "That... That's not the point! You're late! _Again!"_

"Why yes, I am," the woman replied without hesitation, "but you see, I just so happened to see a kitten stuck in a tree as I passed-"

"_Liar_," Seiichi growled, his previous concerns of the day before gone in favor of the bad mood that had been growing since arriving to find their sensei nowhere in sight. After all, he had already made his first impression yesterday. No need to hesitate today.

Kairi's eyebrow quirked a little higher on hearing his response, but she smiled secretly beneath her mask, instead placing her hands on her hips and turning to the three genin before her.

"Alright, I suppose we might as well get started then," the silver-haired jounin said, reaching into her pouch to pull out two silver bells. "Now, here's what I want you to do..."

oxoxo

Kairi's instructions had been simple enough: Get a bell or be sent back to the Academy. Easy, right?

_'Wrong,' _Seiichi grumbled within his mind, crouched stock still upon the branch beneath him.

He carefully peered through the leaves to see the silver-haired jounin standing casually, precisely where they had left her when they had leapt away to hide.

_'Shinobi Rule #22,__' _the pinket recited to himself. _'When faced with an unknown opponent or one of higher rank, conceal yourself and observe them from the shadows.'_

That had been one of the first rules the rising genin had learned back at the Academy. The lesson had been drilled into their heads time and time again over the years: better to hide and learn than to attack and be killed. Thus, that is what Seiichi had done and what his fellow teammates had proceeded to do as well.

...Or so he had assumed.

The boy's olive green orbs suddenly went wide as he took note of a short figure standing behind the female jounin. He knew that stance; he knew that grin; by god, he knew that shock of bright blonde hair and orange jacket...

It took everything Seiichi had not to beat his head against the trunk.

oxoxo

Kairi shifted her stance slightly, letting her gaze drift almost lazily around the clearing.

_'Well, at least I know they learned one thing back at the Academy...' _she thought to herself. The woman shook her head lightly. She would have been terribly disappointed if they didn't even know such a basic rule as that.

_'But this is just the beginning...' _she glanced about once more. _'Only time will tell if they're truly cut out to be-'_

"Hey, you!"

The jounin paused, blinking once in surprise. There was no way that that blonde had really just announced-

"Hey, I'm talking to you here! You could at least turn around!"

Suppressing a sigh, Kairi acceded to the girl's request, turning so that she faced the female preteen behind her.

The orange-clad girl grinned broadly at the jounin, pleased to finally have the older woman's attention upon her.

"Much better!" Nariko chirped. "Now, as I was saying..." She placed a hand on each hip, feet set apart in a confident stance, as the corners of her lips pulled tight once more in her trademark grin.

"Congratulations, _Sensei!_"she exclaimed excitedly. "You're about to face defeat at the hands of Uzumaki Nariko-sama, future Hokage!" She went to place her hands in the seal she had learned only a couple of days ago. "So, ready or not, I'm gonna kick your ass!" Her eyes squinted. "_Kage Bunshin no jutsu!_"

Kairi's eyebrows only rose slightly as several Narikos appeared before her. Of course, she had already been informed of Nariko's newly-acquired technique, but it was still another thing to see the blonde use it herself.

_'Hm...' _the woman internally mused. _'Depending on how well she can make use of this technique, things could get interesting...'_

Externally, Kairi tilted her head slightly, observing the whiskered girl before her.

"Lesson One: Taijutsu," she said simply. "Let's see what you can do."

The crowd of Narikos grinned, charged the jounin...

oxoxo

...and failed.

"_**Argh!**_ This is cheating, I swear! Where's the rule book! I wanna see it! Urgh! _Let_. _Me_. _**Down**__**!**__"_

The jounin merely sighed softly, crouching to pick up the small bell while Nariko struggled helplessly above her.

The blonde wriggled and writhed, unable to pull her foot free from the rope bound around her ankle that made her dangle from the tree she had sleepily lain against only thirty or so minutes before.

Seiichi watched them blankly from his branch, ignoring the slight twinge in his legs from sitting crouched for so long.

_**'Oh, you've gotta be kidding me**__**!' **_his Inner growled in frustration.

For not the first time, Seiichi agreed with him.

_'What the hell, Nariko!__' _he shouted within his mind. _'Who falls for a trap that simple__?'_

He mentally groaned to himself. She couldn't really be that trusting, could she? He could not be stuck with _that _as a teammate!

The pink-haired boy suppressed a soft moan as he watched Kairi lecture the blonde about _"Looking underneath the underneath"_ and _"It can not be cheating if I said anything goes."_

This was crazy. Even an eight year old would have known better than to pick up a bell that was lying on the ground! How could anyone think it was a good idea to–

_'Hm?'_

Seiichi paused in his internal rant for a second, frowning at the silver-haired jounin below. Something seemed... a little off. She looked... different than before. It was something about her, something about her posture. He narrowed his eyes. Something...

The green orbs rounded in shock as he silently gaped at the older woman.

...Kairi was open for attack.

His breath caught for a moment. No way... _No way. _She had been on guard from the moment she had stepped in the clearing, despite what her nonchalant attitude might have brought one to believe. For her to suddenly be off guard...

His gaze darted towards Nariko, who fumed while the jounin continued her lecture. His eyes widened. That must have been why. Her attention was focused on Nariko, so she must have slipped, just for that moment until she turned elsewhere. Even jounin were allowed to slip up, he figured. Right?

...Right?

Seiichi swallowed, slipping his hand back into his weapons' pouch. This was his chance, possibly his best and only chance. She had said to attack with the intent to kill, so that was what he would do. He'd get the bells, and then... and then...

_'One for Sakaye-chan, one for me,' _he realized, eyes widening again at the realization.

He took a soft, but shaky breath, refusing to see the true implications of what that meant. If he could do this, then Sakaye would surely appreciate it. Him snagging the bells for them both assured they would make it as genin—real genin, that was, not this false title that they had apparently been given.

Seiichi frowned at that, but shook his head, gingerly fingering the sharp points and cool metal that made up the handful of shuriken still buried in his pouch. Inhaling again, he glanced around anxiously, futilely hoping to catch a glimpse of his dark-haired crush.

Truthfully, he didn't actually expect to see her, but he thought it might have lessened his nerves a bit if he had.

He sighed quietly, gritting his teeth and preparing to whip the weapons toward the unknowing jounin, when a slight twinge of... something stilled his hand.

He reluctantly spared Nariko a glance, recognizing the emotion for what it was. The memory of his guilt from the day before only added to the sudden weight in his chest. Clenching his jaw once more, Seiichi shut his eyes and tightened his grip upon the small shuriken. There were only two bells. If he did this and succeeded...

He cut the thought short, refusing to be guilted out of his plan.

The pink-haired boy slowly opened his eyes and locked his gaze upon the jounin.

_'Sorry, Nariko,' _he thought, silently giving her the apology he had meant to grant her the day before, as he slipped the shuriken from his pouch, _'but__ Sakaye-chan comes firs__t.'_

With that, he whipped his hand forward, letting the shuriken fly.

"Therefore, there is nothing wrong with-" Kairi cut off with a choked gasp as the sharp weapons embedded themselves in her body.

Nariko screamed as the jounin collapsed, blood spurting from her wounds.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" the blonde cried frantically, expression panicked as she whipped her arms about. "She's dead! She's dead! She's dead! Oh god, don't you think that was a bit _much?_ Oh no! _**Oh nooooooo!**_"

Seiichi's face grew pale as he observed precisely where the shuriken had hit. His eyes wandered to throat, stomach, back, _eye_...

The pinket choked back the horror that threatened to strangle him as his mind rebelled against the sight before him. No way. It wasn't possible! He couldn't have- She couldn't actually be- She had told them to attack with the intent to kill, god damn it! Wasn't she supposed to dodge or something! She was a jounin! Why hadn't she-? How could she-?

He froze completely, unable to halt the terror that slowly consumed his mind. She wasn't moving... She wasn't speaking... Oh god, he didn't think she was even breathing!

He only vaguely registered Nariko's continued, horrified screams of _"She's dead!"_

"Oh my god, help!" the blonde cried, continuing to swing her limbs about madly. "Someone get _help!_"

Seiichi jerked to, his mind suddenly kicking into overdrive. Help... Help! He had to help! He had to do something! Was she really–

However, as he went to move forward, the body poofed away to reveal a stout, moss-covered log: definitely not human and most certainly not Kairi.

The male preteen stared, numb with both shock and relief. He hadn't killed her. He hadn't killed her. She was alive! Somewhere nearby, she was alive and well, and...

...she now knew where he was.

Every muscle within Seiichi's body went tense as that last thought registered, and his mouth grew dry.

_'...Trap.'_

The pink-haired boy jerked back with the knowledge, instantly taking off into the underbrush.

_'Crap, crap! You _idiot_!__' _he screamed within his mind, beating himself up for his mistake. _'Of course it was a trap! She's a jounin, you __idiot__!__ A __**jounin**__! What were you thinking! Now she knows where I am and I might have just given Sakaye-chan away, too! _Crap_!'_

All at once, it hit him. The fact slapped him so hard he nearly missed the branch he had been leaping towards.

_'Sakaye-chan...'_

His expression became one of horror once more. _'Oh no, I've got to find her!' _Immediately, he leapt to the ground to search for the dark-haired girl. _'It's bad enough I screwed myself over, but if Sakaye-chan gets hurt-' _

Seiichi turned only to come eye to eye with Kairi.

For a moment, there was only stunned silence as the pinket gaped at her with dumb disbelief.

"...Yo."

The preteen snapped back, a strangled scream caught within his throat as he tried to scramble away. Whipping himself back to run, he halted on finding the silver-haired jounin before him again, but this time with her hands placed in a seal.

"Let's try out Lesson Two, shall we?" she said almost cheerfully, before muttering the name of the technique.

Lurching into action, Seiichi jerked his arms up to cross before him, eyes squeezing shut...

There were several seconds of silence. No attacks, no sound, just silence.

Carefully, Seiichi cracked an eye open to peer through the gap between his forearms. To his shock, no one was there.

He blinked in surprise and lowered his arms in confusion. What? Where had Sensei gone? Why hadn't she attacked him? He was so sure that whatever technique she had muttered was going to do him in.

He eyed his body suspiciously, checking himself over just in case she had done something without him realizing it. However, after a moment of patting himself down, he came to the conclusion that he was perfectly unharmed.

The pink-haired boy scratched the back of his head, extremely puzzled. Why hadn't she done anything? Why hadn't she attacked him? Had something happened elsewhere that he wasn't aware of?...

His mouth suddenly went dry for the second time that day. Wait a minute.

Sakaye.

His head snapped up and whipped about madly. Oh no, Sakaye! He had completely forgotten! What if Kairi had run off to attack her!

_'No way!_' Seiichi protested vehemently, tensing himself to take off and find her. _'I won't let that happen! Nothing's going to happen to Sakaye-chan while I'm-'_

"S-Seiichi..."

The preteen froze for a moment, startled to hear his crush's voice. Then, he quickly spun around, expression that of relief. "Sakaye–"

He froze again, but this time in pure, unadulterated horror.

Blood... Blood... It was everywhere! The red liquid stained the Uchiha's clothing, a large blotch of it swiftly blooming upon her chest and stomach, growing with each second. The vital fluid slipped from her mouth and coated her fingers, or at least on that of her right arm. A gaping wound at her shoulder was all that remained of the left, blood dripping to splatter upon the ground. Her leg jutted painfully from her hip, the angle awkward and leading the pinket to believe it had been dislocated or twisted sharply. Her hair spilled about her face, crimson smeared upon her pale, pale skin, a sickening contrast, while that dark, rich blood slid down the ebony strands, clumping them together as it went.

She shakily lifted her gaze to his, eyes laden with hazy, heart-wrenching pain. "Seii...chi..."

Her remaining arm, which had been clutching her stomach, released its hold to reach out to him, finally allowing her gory and mangled insides to spill out from within her.

That did it.

Seiichi staggered backward in panicked and terrified revulsion. He stumbled to his hands and knees, feeling bile rise within his throat. Coughing harshly, he retched what was left of his half-eaten dinner from the night before onto the suddenly cold and unforgiving dirt.

His head swam and vision blurred from the intense heat that had passed through his throat. He dry-heaved once as he trembled, but finally collapsed to the ground on his side, shaking hard. Oh god. Sakaye, Sakaye. It couldn't—Oh god, he was too late. He was too late! Too _late__... _

He was going to watch her die, he realized. Oh god, he was actually going to have to watch the life drain from her body. He was going to have to hold her and watch her eyes go blank, her expression fade, her body go limp. He was going to have to see her _die..._

And it was all his fault.

The guilt was enormous; he didn't think anything could hurt more than this.

Had Seiichi been in his right mind, he might have noticed that the image had slowly faded and that Sakaye was indeed alive and well.

But he was not and his face was turned the other direction. Thus, the guilt ate at him and his stomach flipped as he choked back the nausea.

_'Sakaye-chan, Sakaye-chan. _No_...'_

Within moments, his brain shut down, forcing him into the blissful throes of unconsciousness.

oxoxo

Kairi watched him from a tree nearby, tilting her head to one side curiously.

"Hm..." she hummed softly. "Perhaps that was a bit much..."

Shrugging, she turned her gaze back towards the foliage behind her, an odd twinkle in her eye.

"On to Victim 3 then..."

oxoxo

Sakaye hopped about the trees, her dark orbs flickering to glance around her in search of the silver-haired jounin.

The female Uchiha had been forced to flee when, shortly after deciding to attack the off-guard Kairi, her male teammate had chosen to take action before her, apparently having noticed their jounin's open stance as well. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on the perspective, the pink-haired boy had incidentally revealed their jounin's supposed lack of attention to actually be a trap meant to draw out the attacker's position. Knowing that to linger could possibly lead the silver-haired woman to her location, Sakaye had reluctantly fled, slipping the handful of shuriken back into her pouch.

She frowned lightly at the memory, a little miffed about Seiichi initiating her plan before she had. Yet at the same time, if _she_ had been the one to attack...

A brief flare of chakra made the dark-haired girl take pause. She narrowed her eyes and glanced in the direction from whence it had come, pressing her palm against the trunk of the tree whose branch she had stopped upon for support.

She silently puzzled the flare over in her mind. _'Ninjutsu? Genjutsu?'_

Her frown deepened as she then questioned who had attacked and who had been the opponent. With naut but a moment of thought, she came to the obvious conclusion, her eyes narrowing again.

_'As far as I know, Nariko is still dangling from that tree. That leaves Seiichi and that woman, but I doubt Seiichi was the one to attack.' _Sakaye leaned back against the bark, crossing her arms as she continued her train of thought. _'He must have taken off just like I did after he attacked the jounin, so she must have followed him and chosen to battle him next.'_

The Uchiha scowled, uncrossing her arms and leaping down from the branch to land crouched upon the ground. Straightening in one swift movement, she carefully observed her surroundings for any sign of Kairi.

It was as she was doing so that a voice spoke behind her.

"Ah, there you are."

Sakaye silently glanced over her shoulder. The jounin she sought did not look up from her novel at the motion. She instead continued to rest casually within the boughs of a tree not ten feet behind the preteen.

The dark-haired girl observed her for a long moment, only narrowing her eyes as the woman flipped the page of her novel and giggled softly to herself.

"Oh, how cute..." the jounin murmured.

Sakaye's eyebrow twitched in slight indignation at going ignored as she turned to face the woman fully.

After another minute of silence, Kairi finally spoke again.

"In case you're wondering, yes, you are the last one left." She tore her visible dark orb from her book, indicating that the Uchiha had her attention. "Nariko failed Lesson One: Taijutsu, Seiichi succumbed to Lesson Two: Genjutsu..." The female jounin gently closed the book on her finger and quietly leapt to the ground, before sliding the novel back open. Her gaze returned to peruse its pages. "And now, I'll introduce you to Lesson Three: Ninjutsu."

She said the words as if she had spoken them one too many times before, which, for all Sakaye knew, she had.

"...You shouldn't underestimate me," Sakaye said, sliding into a battle stance. "I won't be that easy."

"Oh, really now?" Kairi replied, glancing up with a smile. "That's what your blonde friend said."

The dark-haired girl immediately tensed, fists clenching as she glared. "...Don't compare me to her."

Then, she made her move.

o

o

**Fun Facts: **

– Yes, yes, I am so creative with chapter titles. At least it fits, right?

– Every time I read Kairi's last line, I want to replace "your blonde friend" with "she."

"_...You shouldn't underestimate me," Sakaye said, sliding into a battle stance. "I won't be that easy."_

"_Oh, really now?" Kairi replied, glancing up with a smile. "That's what __**she**__ said."_

– Nariko calling herself _"Uzumaki Nariko-sama" _is based off my hearing Naruto introduce himself as _"Uzumaki Naruto-sama" _in the Forest of Death, when arriving just as Sasuke was preparing to hand over their scroll to the disguised Orochimaru. I had switched it over to the subbed version because, strangely enough, alternating between Japanese and English makes it seem all new again.

– The portion in which Seiichi sees the gruesome genjutsu of the wounded Sakaye was written _long_ before I began work on this chapter.

– Seiichi's reaction to the genjutsu was/is inspired by Sakura's reaction to the Sasuke genjutsu in KyLewin's Naruto fanfic, _Time and Again_, one of the best and most realistic time-travel fics I've ever read. It even has a sequel! _**Grins.**_

– As I mentioned in a previous Fun Facts, Izumi commonly says _"Is that so?"_ and now, as you may or may not have noticed, Kairi commonly says _"Oh, really now?"_ Her first time saying so appeared in Chapter 6, during her first meeting with Nariko.

– I didn't want to cut the Bell Test in two parts, but this chapter had already hit 4000 words and the next is about 5200. That would have made a chapter that peaked at a whopping 9200 words.

– Kairi, if you hadn't noticed with this Bell Test, seems to, arguably, be a bit harsher than Kakashi in her tactics. For example, instead of telling them they'd go without lunch if they didn't get the bells, she informed them they'd be sent back to the Academy. You could argue, however, that Kakashi's telling them they'd lose lunch and then changing it to them being sent back to the Academy is harsher. Depends on your perspective.

– Kairi's genjutsu of the dying Sakaye for Seiichi is based more heavily on the Manga Sasuke Genjutsu as opposed to the Anime one, which is greatly censored in comparison.


	10. Bell Test, Part 2

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:** We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 10: _Bell Test – Part 2_

(Completed: 12-28-09)

x

x

**RECAP:**

"_...You shouldn't underestimate me," Sakaye said, sliding into a battle stance. "I won't be that easy."_

"_Oh, really now?" Kairi replied, glancing up with a smile. "That's what your blonde friend said."_

_The dark-haired girl immediately tensed, fists clenching as she glared. "...Don't compare me to her."_

_Then, she made her move. _

oxo

Kairi observed the incapacitated Uchiha before her.

The girl had indeed proven to be a challenge, but she had still been no match for the older jounin's skill and years of experience, and Kairi had managed to top her in the end.

The silver-haired woman shook her head lightly in disbelief. She would have never expected the girl to pull out something like the Grand Fireball Jutsu. Of course, she knew that fire jutsu had been a specialty of the Uchiha clan, and the girl was most certainly an Uchiha, but...

Kairi shook her head once more, sighing softly. The girl had actually become so troublesome that she'd had to knock her unconscious. The young Uchiha had struggled and struggled hard, even when completely immobilized by Kairi's shinobi wire and coated in dirt.

The jounin couldn't help but grin in memory. During the battle, she had ended up introducing the girl to one of her earth jutsu, and needless to say, the preteen had not been thrilled at having a wave of the dark soil dumped upon her.

Though Kairi was surprised by her skill, it still wasn't good enough, she thought. The girl would have to work a lot harder if she wanted to complete that second "ambition" of hers.

The woman stared at the girl for a moment before closing her eyes with a sigh. She stood from the crouched position she had taken by the female Uchiha's body, planning on heading off to read her book, but took pause and glanced back at the young girl.

She observed the genin's bound form and already developed curves, suddenly reminded that there was a preteen boy wandering about. Even if she didn't plan on him waking anytime soon, there was always the chance...

She sighed again and bent down to untie the girl. It wasn't as if the Uchiha was going to be waking up soon either.

oxoxo

Seiichi staggered through the underbrush, nursing a headache and working to ignore the disgusting aftertaste his earlier expulsion of his stomach contents had caused. The pinket quickly sobered on recalling the memory of what had caused the nausea to rise within him, and his feet came into view as he lowered his gaze, feeling ill again.

After waking and discovering no sign of Sakaye's body or a single trace of blood, Seiichi had slowly come to the realization that he had fallen for a genjutsu. Even now he flushed with shame, remembering the many lessons within the Academy on the illusionary technique, including the entire chapter based around it.

Yet, even as horrifying as the image had been and even knowing that it had been his own stupid mistake that had allowed him to fall victim to such an illusion in the first place, Seiichi couldn't help but feel immensely relieved. He hadn't killed Sakaye. His rash actions hadn't caused her to be bleeding and dying at his feet or given her reason to hate him. He hadn't caused her harm. He hadn't _hurt_ her...

The idea made him ridiculously happy, and the guilt had thankfully faded. Of course, he did feel a twinge, knowing that had that been real it probably would have been his fault, but it hadn't happened and that was all that mattered. Besides, there was no need to worry. If they passed this test, he would never allow her to be harmed like that. No way!

**'I****f **_**you pass...**__**' **_his Inner muttered.

Seiichi's shoulders slumped at the pessimistic comment.

_'Yeah. _If..._' _he thought miserably.

The boy sighed softly, glancing around in the hopes of finding the river he had spied earlier when they had arrived. The taste of bile still lingered in his mouth and he was desperate to be rid of it.

Suddenly, he stopped short, catching sight of a familiar figure sprawled upon the ground. Seeing the girl so soon after the the terrifying vision of her sent his heart leaping to his throat in relief.

Of course, he had figured she wasn't _really_ bloodied and mangled, but to actually see her?

He dropped to the ground beside the female Uchiha, legs crossed. The pink-haired boy braced his elbows upon his knees as he regarded his crush, weary but glad.

Only then did it occur to him that she was unconscious.

Taking note of that fact, he quickly gave her a nervous once over, registering her dirty, tried form. He frowned lightly at the state she was in, the dirt clumped in her hair, the muddied cheeks, the scrapes upon her face and clothing...

Just what had Sensei done to her?

oxoxo

Nariko snuck about the trees, grinning broadly to herself and suppressing snickers. Oh, she had really pulled the wool over Sensei's eyes!

_'Who does she think she is, snaring me in a stupid little trap like that?' _Nariko thought gleefully within her mind. _'I'm__ Uzumaki Nariko, Prankster Extraordinaire! There's no way one little rope can hold me!'_

She carefully ignored the fact that it had taken her at least twenty minutes to escape and then another ten when she had fallen for the same trap that had been hidden beneath the first.

The blonde snickered again, reveling in her victory. Kairi probably thought she was still stuck in that silly, little-

Her stomach rumbled loudly, and the blonde's face transformed pitifully as she sniffed and rubbed the cloth-covered skin.

"So... So _hungry._.." Nariko whimpered, sniffling again as her stomach growled once more.

The genin's grumbly tummy reminded her precisely what the jounin had done the day before to place it in such a painful state. The orange-clad girl's cheeks puffed up angrily at the memory and her face flushed, though whether it was from embarrassment or rage was hard to tell.

That Kairi lady was full of tricks! First with the "No Breakfast" deal, then switching herself out with one of Nariko's own clones—thwarting the short genin's awesome plan in the process—and finally that bell on the ground and the rope? _Twice_, for that matter?

Nariko growled. "That sneaky, slippery, sly, snarky, slimy-"

The blonde's lengthy alliteration cut off as she came to a sudden halt. She sniffed lightly, mouth instantly watering and stomach rumbling noisily.

Oh, oh! Was that the sweet scent of food on the wind?

The whiskered girl whipped her head to the left, which seemed to be the source of the smell, and found herself face to face with stone. She blinked once to refocus her vision and, ignoring the words inscribed upon the rock face, sent her gaze upwards where the heavenly scent descended from.

She inhaled deeply and swallowed back the saliva that threatened to flood her mouth, quickly clambering up the stone and using the inscriptions as holds for her fingers. The blonde then grasped the edge and pulled herself up, her eyes darting about eagerly as she desperately sought out the food that had brought about such a mouth-watering scent.

Nariko felt absolutely no disappointment when three bento met her cerulean blue orbs, the boxes sitting innocently upon the dark granite.

Slowly, a grin split the girl's face, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Lunch."

So engrossed in the bento as she was, the blonde never even noticed the figure behind her until it was far too late...

oxoxo

"Well, I have to say, I'm rather disappointed."

Shaking her head with a sigh, Kairi carefully observed the three before her.

Seiichi took no notice of her gaze, seemingly immersed in thoughts of his own. A deep frown tugged as his mouth and he appeared... confused, the silver-haired jounin thought. About what she had no idea, but she noted with some measure of interest that as his eyes drifted to the Uchiha, it only increased.

It was Nariko who surprised her the most, though. She was pouting, of course; that came as no shock. Most certainly though, it was her silence that was the most unusual. Kairi may have only known the girl a day and a half at best, but even she could tell it was an uncommon occurrence.

Sakaye ignored all three of them, characteristically quiet though her eyes seemed darker than usual.

Kari sighed through her nose this time. While she was not in any way astonished to note the Uchiha was displeased, she did not seem quite as angry as the jounin had predicted she would be. The older kunoichi quirked an eyebrow. That seemed a bit unusual in itself. From the way the girl had acted when she had spoken of her ambitions, the silver-haired woman would have expected her to be absolutely enraged, but her anger seemed... muted somewhat. Perhaps she was suppressing it to uphold that unaffected façade of hers?

The older woman shrugged to herself, earning an odd look from Seiichi, but she paid no mind to it and proceeded to speak.

"Well, obviously, you three have failed. I instructed you to get a bell by noon or return to the Academy." She eyed them wryly and jingled the bells before them. "Seeing as I still have them both, none of you succeeded..." She paused for a moment as if expecting one of them to speak. When neither of the three did, she groaned softly to herself. "And your silence tells me that it was in more than one way..."

Seiichi jerked at this, startled by her words. "What?" He frowned, suddenly feeling a little irritated. "What do you mean in more than one way? I know we didn't get the bells, but what other way was there to fail?"

Kairi seemed annoyed by his questions and frowned, her single dark eye hardening. "You three really don't get it, do you? You still haven't figured it out. Something so simple, so _basic._.."

Sakaye jolted slightly and narrowed her eyes at the jounin, as Nariko whipped up her head, attention suddenly caught as well.

"What are you _talking_ about?" the blonde yelled, breaking her silence. "We went after the bells and failed your stupid test! What else _is_ there?"

"Even an Academy student should have recognized the point to this and having just graduated, you should know it _best_..." Kairi said tensely, apparently angry with their ignorance.

Seiichi continued to grow more and more frustrated with the jounin, shoulders tensing and jaw clenching. He hated not knowing something, and Sensei seemed intent on dragging this out far more than he liked.

"What _is __it?"_ he finally growled.

The masked woman snapped her visible eye towards them and remained silent for a moment. Shortly after, her shoulders slumped slightly, and she sighed with irritation.

"Teamwork," she said tersely. "The point to this exercise was _Teamwork_."

A hush consumed the clearing at the sudden realization, the trio slowly registering the jounin's words within their startled minds. Seiichi and Nariko gaped at her while Sakaye's eyes grew uncharacteristically wide.

"..._What__?_..." the pinket spoke, breaking the quiet and working to process the new development. "But... how? There's only..." He frowned and eyed her suspiciously. "..._two_ bells..."

"I know," Kairi stated. "You were supposed to work together to try and get them both."

Seiichi gritted his teeth. "But there's only two," he repeated. "One of us would have failed anyway! How does _that_ promote teamwork?"

The jounin sighed in annoyance and spoke as if she were explaining something to a small child. "That was to test, even if the circumstances were out of your favor, if you could still put aside your differences and work together. One of you would have had to sacrifice your chance as a genin so that the other two could succeed and move on," she continued, finally glaring at all three of them. "The shinobi world is riddled with situations such as that. There may come a day when you have to sacrifice one person for the good of the other."

The male preteen jerked back at her words, eyes going wide with shock.

"Furthermore," Kairi said, shutting her eyes, "I was unbelievably disappointed with not only your actions, but your performance throughout the entire test."

She turned sharply towards the blonde before her. "Nariko."

The orange-clad girl instantly went stiff.

"From the very beginning, you charged in to the situation without even bothering with stealth or simply staying back to observe me first, which your teammates did and any decent shinobi would know to do," Kairi said coldly.

Nariko flinched.

"Not only that," the woman continued, "you tried to do everything, and I mean _everything, _yourself. You constantly fell for my traps, acted on impulse, and then tried to sneak the lunch you found away when that time could have been better spent at least making an _attempt _to come after me. Considering your goal, I would have thought that passing this test would have been a _little _more important than satisfying your hunger."

The blonde remained quiet as the silver-haired jounin turned to the sole male member of the squad. "Seiichi."

The boy froze and swallowed hard, terrified of what was to come.

Kairi only briefly recalled that the boy had named being lectured or scolded as one of his dislikes before proceeding without pause.

"During the entire test, you focused solely on Sakaye, despite the fact that you knew she could handle herself. Not once did you bother to help Nariko, though you had several chances and could quite easily see that she needed it. Furthermore, you fell not only for my trap as I lectured Nariko, which I could have forgiven, but for the genjutsu as well, something that should have been drilled into your head back at the Academy and something your intellect led me to believe you could have seen through."

Seiichi shifted uncomfortably and looked away, cheeks flushed with shame.

At last, Kairi turned to Sakaye and paused, expression unreadable. She stared quietly for a moment before finally speaking again, suddenly sounding tired and perhaps a little sad.

"Like Nariko, you also trekked out on your own," the jounin said softly. "You were rather impressive in our brief battle—I'll give you points for that—but while you proved yourself to be more adept than your teammates in that aspect, you were worse than them as well..."

Sakaye kept silent and Kairi looked straight at the Uchiha, locking gazes so that her single dark orb met the preteen's own dark eyes. "...You didn't give either of your teammates a single thought and didn't bother to help them once. You treated them as if they weren't even worth your time, as if they were nuisances, something not to be bothered with..." She paused again. "...You treated them as if they were no better than _trash_."

The dark-haired girl's nostrils flared, but her face flushed just as Seiichi's had, and she looked away.

The silver-haired jounin glanced over them once more, feeling a little angry again. "Had this been a real live situation, your actions could have gotten you killed or worse." Her voice grew firmer and more furious as she went. "Given the circumstances, none of you are even fit to be shinobi, let alone pass this test. If anything, your best bet is to drop from the program completely!"

It was this that made Sakaye snap. Without warning, she charged the older kunoichi, but Kairi just as quickly kicked her away, sending the dark-haired girl skidding across the ground.

"Sakaye-chan!" Seiichi cried, immediately leaping to her side.

The Uchiha merely wheezed in response as she struggled to breathe, the attack having knocked the wind from her lungs.

"_**What the hell is wrong with you!**__"_ Nariko screamed furiously as she struggled against her bonds.

Kairi merely leveled Sakaye with a blank stare. "A shinobi should know better than to let their emotions get the best of them..." she said calmly, though internally she couldn't help but note that this was the anger she had originally expected, and thus, the girl must have been suppressing it after all.

Sakaye regained her breath and, in humiliated anger, tore herself from Seiichi to slowly return to her place beside Nariko, eyes locked on the ground.

The pink-haired boy followed her lead after a moment's hesitation, sparing Kairi a heated glare, before proceeding to give Sakaye a look of concern.

Kairi shook her head. "This just proves that I was right. None of you are cut out to be ninja. In fact, I should recommend to the Hokage you be completely dropped as potential shinobi..."

Nariko tensed and shook lightly, lips pressed together and face tight with both anger and what looked like an attempt to force back tears. Seiichi dropped his head, hands fisted in the dirt as he struggled with himself against some action or other. Whether it was the urge to hit Kairi or tears as well, the jounin wasn't sure. Sakaye simply stared numbly at the ground, expression blank and body still.

The silence stretched on for what seemed like an eternity and the overwrought, helpless aura about the clearing was almost suffocating.

After a long, long moment though, Kairi finally sighed and crossed her arms. "But... I'm going to give you a second chance."

Three shocked pairs of eyes snapped towards her.

"Wh-What?" Nariko spoke, hope blossoming within her chest. "Really? _You mean it?_"

The jounin nodded once and the blonde screamed happily, bouncing with unbridled joy. Seiichi looked stunned, his shoulders falling slightly as he tried to process what had happened. Sakaye merely stared off into the distance, eyes surprisingly wide even as a smirk tugged at her lips.

After a quick celebration, Nariko opened her mouth, most likely to thank the woman.

However, Kairi lifted a hand to stop her. "Not so fast." Her single eye flashed. "I need to explain first..."

The whiskered girl's face transformed in confusion, Sakaye's eyes narrowed warily, and Seiichi's stomach turned uneasily.

"Explain?..." the boy muttered nervously.

Kairi merely smiled. "Oh, yes. You see, there's one little catch..."

oxoxo

_**Grrrwwlll...** _

Nariko hunched her shoulders, trying to ignore her growling midsection. Shifting against the ropes that bound her to the training post, the blonde grimaced, helpless to alleviate the hunger that ached within her.

Seiichi glanced at her as he slowly consumed his lunch, something his own stomach greatly thanked him for.

Sensei had informed them that, though she was giving them a second chance and a lunch break, Nariko was not allowed any food since she had tried to sneak a taste of it earlier. Even more so, if either he or Sakaye tried to feed the girl, the second chance would become invalid and they would immediately fail, thus causing all three of them to lose their opportunity to become genin.

The pinket had briefly wondered if she meant this one time or for the rest of their lives, but the jounin had vanished before he'd had a chance to ask.

All the same, it didn't matter either way. Seiichi knew better than to break the rules, especially this one when their career as genin were most likely on the line.

Nariko's stomach growled again, and the pink-haired boy noted that he wasn't the only one eying the blonde. He blinked and frowned at the Uchiha from the edge of his peripheral vision. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the girl almost seemed... troubled. He watched her frown lightly and look down at her bento before darting her gaze towards the short genin again.

Eyes widening slightly, Seiichi stiffened. Was it possible? Could she actually be contemplating... He tightened his grip on his chopsticks. No way, Sakaye had heard what Sensei had said. She knew what would happen if she attempted to do something like that.

But what was he thinking? She would never consider doing such a thing. He knew Sakaye better than that. She wouldn't actually–

"Here."

Seiichi gaped at the dark-haired girl as she jabbed her lunch towards their orange-clad teammate with a sigh.

Nariko's mouth dropped open at the action. "Eh? _Eh?_ Wh-what are you doing?"

Sakaye glared at the blonde, annoyed by the question. "Giving you my lunch. What do you think?" She glanced about the clearing. "I've already eaten half of it and that should be enough to keep up my strength for the second test. Besides, Kairi's nowhere in sight. She'll never have to know."

The sole male genin stared at his crush in disbelief. "But Sakaye-chan... If she catches you..." He paused and let the sentence trail off.

"_We may never be able to become ge__nin...__"_

The unspoken phrase hung within the air.

"...I know that," she said after a moment of silence, "but we're never going to be able to get those bells if one of us runs on an empty stomach. It will affect our teamwork if Nariko is more focused on food than the test."

The blonde flushed at that and went on to declare that she could go without lunch and would be able to concentrate just fine, grumbly tummy or not.

As she spoke, Seiichi remained quiet, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why was Sakaye doing this? It seemed completely out of character for the dark-haired girl. She knew the consequences of feeding Nariko and he knew how much she wanted to pass, so what could have...?

"_...You didn't give either of your teammates a single thought...__"_

"_...You treated them as if they were no better than _trash_."_

Seiichi's eyes grew wide once more as he glanced over at the scowling girl, the blonde still stubbornly protesting her teammate's actions.

Perhaps... Had she taken Kairi's words to heart? He stared mutely at her as the gears in his mind turned.

"_Not once did you bother to help Nariko, though you had several chances and could quite easily see that she needed it..."_

Seiichi tightened his grip on his bento, hunching his shoulders and grimacing as his face grew red with shame once more. He turned his gaze down to his lunch and hesitated as he thought the matter over within his mind.

He really hadn't had the chance to apologize the day before like he had been planning to and this was a great chance to get it off his chest...

The male genin sighed deeply through his nose and, with all his will power, shoved the lunch at Nariko.

"Here!" he forced out.

The blonde blinked, almost as startled to see him offer his lunch as she had been with Sakaye. However, instead of shouting at him as she had with the Uchiha, she looked up, her eyes gone wide, as if trying to decide whether he really was offering the box to her or not.

Seiichi just held his position, praying she would quickly take it and end the moment as his cheeks flushed lightly for not the first time that day, though for once it was from embarrassment rather than shame.

After a moment, Nariko seemed to decide it was real, and with a hard swallow, she blushed, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes even as she smiled. A warm feeling bubbled up within the blue-eyed preteen as her throat closed up.

"S-Seiichi-kun..." she managed out, sniffling helplessly.

The added wetness and emotional gesture only served to make the boy uncomfortable, and he jabbed the bento at her again.

"Just hurry up and eat it!" Seiichi urged, annoyance merging with the embarrassment as he looked around anxiously. "Sensei's going to be back any minute now! If she catches us, then none of us will have a chance at passing!"

Nariko sniffled once more. "But I can't, Seiichi-kun..." the girl choked.

The pinket turned to give her an irritated look.

"Yes, you can! I don't mind! Really, I'm not that hungry anyway. I had a big dinner last night..." he lied, ignoring the faint rumbling of his stomach in favor of having the girl simply take the box.

The blonde shook her head. "No! I mean, I really _can't_. My arms are tied, and I can't get them loose to eat!" She squirmed, wiggling the limbs for emphasis, but the ropes held tight and Nariko remained bound to the stump.

Seiichi's shoulders slumped as he gave her a disgruntled look. "Oh..." He glanced down at his lunch before eying his teammate reluctantly. Scanning the training grounds one last time, he moaned softly and stood up.

Nariko blinked at him and tilted her head curiously, wondering what he meant to do. At that same moment, a mouthful of rice shoved itself between her lips, and the preteen choked, coughing at the sudden intrusion.

"_Shhhh!"_ Seiichi hissed, another clump of the white grains held within his chopsticks. "Sensei will hear you and then we'll definitely fail for sure, so just... eat it!" He said this while thrusting the rice cluster into her open mouth.

A little more prepared for the unexpected feeding, Nariko gladly took it and swallowed, her stomach accepting the food happily.

"Seiichi-kun, th-"

The blonde cut off as an umeboshi made its way through her lips and onto her tongue.

"Thank me later!" Seiichi said, voice soft but urgent. His eyes darted about the area nervously. "If you don't hurry up already, then Sensei-!"

Smoke exploded before them and the trio cried out in surprise as the silver-haired jounin burst out from within. "_**You three**__!"_

Seiichi stared up at her, eyes wide and arms crossed in front of him as sweat dribbled down his brow, face paling drastically.

"_**How dare you...**_" the woman growled out, raking her gaze across the genin before her.

Nariko gaped at her, eyes bulging as she frantically struggled against the ropes that bound her, babbling fearfully.

"_**I gave you explicit instructions...**_" Kairi said, single dark orb narrowed, bringing back to mind the frightening visage the older kunoichi had introduced them to earlier.

Sakaye crouched on the ground in a defensive stance, eyes mere slits though a trickle of sweat slid down her cheek as the only hint to the fear she truly felt.

"_**And you completely disregarded them**_," the silver-haired woman stated. "_**And for that... you three...**_"

The genin stared at her; one panicked, one terrified, and one as unreadable as ever.

After a long, tense moment, Kairi suddenly smiled, eye sliding shut cheerfully.

"...Pass~!" she chirped.

A pregnant pause reigned over the clearing as the jounin's words registered within the minds of her students.

"...What?" Seiichi whispered, eyes round with shock and disbelief.

Their teacher's grin widened as she placed her hands on her hips. "Just as I said: you pass."

Nariko gawked at her. "Wait a minute! You're _serious?_ We..."

The woman nodded. "Mm-hm. Congratulations."

The female Uchiha stared at her, eyes having gone wide as well, a strange change from her usual expression, but it swiftly morphed into a light smirk as she closed her eyes and relaxed her stance. "Hn... So, you _were _testing us..."

Seiichi jerked slightly at the revelation. "Hold on a second! You mean, that whole deal with telling us not to feed Nariko...?"

Kairi nodded again. "Exactly." She straightened and crossed her arms, looking down at the three.

"Shinobi who don't obey the rules are trash," she said softly, "but those who don't help their comrades?... They are even worse than that."

The jounin grew silent for a moment, swept up in memory of the one who had first recited that line.

Kairi sighed quietly within her mind. _'Oh, Okimi, I wish I would've listened...' _She smiled wryly. _'You never did cease to amaze me. When did you get so wise?__'_

Returning to the present, she glanced over her students; from Seiichi, who was suddenly grinning with relief; to Nariko, who on finally catching up with the meaning was grinning just as broadly and practically bouncing with excitement as she cheered; and then to Sakaye, who sat on the ground, eyes shut and smirking, though there was a soft undertone that belay the relief that nearly matched Seiichi's.

_'They... remind me so much of us..._' she murmured softly within her mind. Smiling gently, she placed a hand upon the dark stone beside her and traced the inscriptions sadly.

Unsurprisingly, the female Uchiha's eyes darkened slightly on recognizing the stone for what it was, but Kairi's eye narrowed slightly on noting the pair of olive green orbs that grew wide on catching sight of the monument, a strange recognition flashing through the male genin's gaze. His grin faded, and for a moment, his expression became unreadable.

Yet before the female jounin could analyze it and determine the emotion, Nariko turned to her new teammate, still babbling excitedly on and on about their success, and the look vanished, his face returning to its original happy state.

The silver-haired woman observed him mutely, tilting her head to one side curiously.

Well, that was interesting.

When reading up on potential students or squad mates—something any good shinobi was sure to do, jounin sensei or not—Kairi always made sure to take note of things such as name, skills, comments made on their strengths and weaknesses, and other such things she deemed important. Sometimes, if she thought it necessary, she would also go over their background, but that was an uncommon occurrence and it did not happen often.

In the case of these three, she certainly hadn't thought to do so. The Uchiha Tragedy was common knowledge among shinobi, most everyone knew the story behind the Kyuubi child, and as far as Kairi knew, the Haruno were not of shinobi descent. Thus, other than Seiichi's intelligence and unusual hair color, there was nothing significantly special about the boy's background...

"_And my dreams... Well, I do have this one..."_

The jounin frowned lightly at the memory.

"_But it's kinda personal..."_

She blinked once and gave the boy another inquisitive glance. Perhaps she might give his background a once over or two...

"_Kairi, these children... they're special cases, diverse from their classmates in their own way. Each has their own baggage to carry and it's going to be up to you to guide them..."_

Her gaze drifted over the trio and a faintly-weary smile tugged at her lips. Make that three backgrounds.

But that thought was for another time, one either far in the future or soon to come. Either way, it didn't matter. Right now she would let them celebrate while she contemplated the fact that the Third had been correct. These three _were_ different. After all...

They had just made her accept her first genin squad.

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– Again, I am so creative with chapter titles, and again, it fits, doesn't it?

– _The girl had indeed proven to be a challenge, but she had still been no match for the older jounin's skill and years of experience, and Kairi had managed to top her in the end._

This line sounds very wrong when taken out of context.

– This is the second time Nariko has ever been bound up like that with rope. The first had been in Chapter Two when Izumi did the same. Interestingly, though not necessarily surprisingly, both were done by teachers.

– A large portion of this chapter, starting with Seiichi's decision to offer his food to the end was written before the actual chapter had been started.

– I toyed with the idea of Seiichi being tied to the stump instead, but ended up tossing it and sticking with Nariko because I needed Seiichi to address the apology issue, brought up in Chapter 8, in this Arc. The Seiichi being bound idea was inspired by a fanfic called _Kunoichi Sacchin_, if I recall correctly, in which Sasuke, who is actually female, masquerades as a boy. Naruto is the only one to know of her gender, leading him to make a comment during the bell test, when he is bound to the stump, on Kakashi being sexist, which I briefly considered with Seiichi. Unfortunately, however, the fanfic appears to have been taken down, which disappoints me.

– Okimi, our female Obito, is the third person, after Seiichi and Ikuo, to have her name mentioned in a chapter before and separate from when she is first seen, which will be a very, _very _long while from now...

– Sakaye reminds Kairi uncomfortably of herself when she was young, explaining why she addresses her last both in the introductions and the recent scoldings.


	11. The Honorable Granddaughter

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:** We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 11: _The Honorable Granddaughter!_

(Completed: 05-09-10 )

x

x

**Sunday:**

"Come on!"

**Monday:**

"I can do it!"

**Tuesday:**

"Really, Old Man! I know I can!"

**Wednesday:**

"Just let me try..."

**Thursday:**

"Urgh! If you'd just give me a _chance_..."

**Friday:**

"...Please?"

**Saturday:**

"Please, please, please?"

**Sunday:**

"Pretty please?..."

**Monday:**

"...Pretty please with sugar on top and ice cream? And those chocolate things Izumi-sensei bought me one time from that sweet shop down the street, and maybe some pocky too while we're at it? Ooh! And some pork ramen all steamy and hot, with the noodles and the broth and the meat and-"

Sarutobi hid a grin as he allowed the blonde to ramble on about the soup she had grown to love so much and had suddenly permitted herself to become distracted by.

With a vague sense of curiosity, he wondered where the rest of her team was.

The thought had crossed his mind several times in the week that Nariko had begun to show up in his office, demanding a step up from the dull and painfully simple D-rank they had been assigned thus far—in less eloquent terms, of course. It appeared, though, that the other members to her squad had yet to learn of her antics, as he was certain that they would have come to drag her away by that point had they known.

Well, perhaps such actions would better refer to Kairi or the young male genin, Seiichi. Somehow, the Third couldn't quite picture the Uchiha bothering with such an action. Then, come to think of it, shouldn't her team have been in the middle of a mission? In fact, hadn't they had missions during the periods of time Nariko had come to make her "visits?"...

"Or prunes?"

The Sandaime slowly blinked and glanced up from the papers he had been signing to regard the orange-clad girl before him with an exasperated fondness.

"...Prunes, Nariko?" he inquired, one bushy eyebrow lightly quirked.

The blonde nodded once, her expression serious. "Yes. Old people like prunes, so that would make it a good topper, right?"

The elderly Hokage couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his throat.

"I'm afraid, Nariko," Sarutobi responded, dark eyes laughing from within his wrinkled face, "that not even a please with–" He chuckled again. "–_prunes_ on top is going to make you eligible for a C-rank."

Nariko's rare, solemn expression immediately warped into a more-familiar, childish pout.

"Why _not?" _she whined. "I'm a kunoichi now..."

"Be that as it may," said the Hokage," neither you nor your teammates are ready." He smiled wryly to himself. "Maybe next time."

With an over-exaggerated sigh, Nariko swiftly turned on her heel. "Fine," she grumbled, "but I'll be back tomorrow!"

Sarutobi's lips quirked up further as he returned to the mess of work scattered on his desk. "Oh, I don't doubt that..." he muttered softly.

The blonde, seeming not to have heard, quickly opened the door to his office and slid outside in preparation to race back to her teammates, who were likely not only wondering over her disappearance, but were annoyed by it was well.

However, as she made her way out of the room, Nariko collided hard into a solid object. With an exclamation of shock, the blonde flew back against the ground with only a little less force than the figure before her. The new genin groaned in pain, her head having collided with the wooden floor during her landing, and pushed herself up, rubbing the back of her skull.

"Hey!" Nariko growled. "Watch where you're going!" She slipped an eye open to find a small girl glaring at her.

The brunette was obviously younger than her, perhaps no more than seven or eight, as her face still held its childish roundness and baby fat softened her limbs. Her dark eyes were larger on her face and the kind of innocence only one of her age could have lurked within the depths, even as anger and embarrassment manifested upon her features. Her brown bangs stuck out in all directions in contrast to her hair, which lay smooth until it reached her shoulders where it curved up and spiked outwards, leaving the impression that she had begun to brush the unruly locks, but due to some distraction or other, had forgotten to finish.

The rumpled yellow t-shirt and crinkled tan shorts only added to the "distraction" theory, as did the long blue scarf that had flung itself over her head during the fall. The wrinkles in the shirt not quite but nearly disguised the too-large Konoha leaf symbol printed there, distinctly and boldly proclaiming the brunette's just a bit over-the-top and naïve sense of Leaf village pride.

Tiny fists clenched beside the smaller girl's bended knees as a pink flush blotted the younger's cheeks.

"_Me?_" she exclaimed. "Why don't you watch where you're going, _stupid!"_

Nariko bristled, face turning red with fury. Grabbing the front of the girl's shirt, she pulled both herself and the child to their feet. Shock flashed across the brunette's face, indicating her surprise at the sudden and rough treatment.

"Who're you calling _stupid!"_ the blonde fumed.

The small girl's shock vanished in an instant. "You, stupid!" she replied defiantly.

Nariko tensed angrily, and one hand removed itself from where it had grabbed the yellow cloth with the ridiculously-sized leaf symbol and rose to shake just a little too close to the girl's face. "You little brat! I oughta give you a piece of my–!"

"Kokoro, is that you?"

The blonde blinked and glanced back in to the room she had exited from moments ago. The Hokage eyed the two with amusement, his gaze falling on the child being manhandled by Konoha's very own loud-mouthed prankster.

Kokoro's face fell into a scowl. "Oh, now look what you did!" she grumbled. "How am I supposed to sneak up on him _now?_" Lips forming a pout, the girl crossed her arms and glared at her captor.

Nariko drew her eyebrows down in confusion as she turned her attention to the Hokage, tugging the brunette with her. She pointed at the girl, expression twisted with disbelief. "You know her, Old Man?"

Sarutobi smiled, removing his pipe to blow smoke from his lips and tapping the object on his desk. "I should think so," he replied, replacing it. "She is my granddaughter, after all."

"Eh? _Granddaughter?_" the blonde responded, twisting her head to eye the girl incredulously.

Kokoro paid no mind to Nariko's dubious stare, instead choosing to narrow her eyes and crinkle her nose at the smoke slipping from her grandfather's lips.

"Mom says you shouldn't do that," she stated plainly, wrinkling her nose further. "It's bad for you." She grimaced slightly. "Aunt Asami, too."

The Sandaime's lips quirked around the stem of his pipe as he removed it once more to speak.

"And right she is," he said in answer to the girl's simple declaration. "Don't get in the habit of it when you're older, alright?"

The small brunette made a face. "Why would I want to? It smells."

The Third merely laughed at that. "By the way, I meant to ask," he spoke with a chuckle. "Where is Emiko-san?"

Kokoro's features scrunched up as she glanced towards the ceiling in thought. "Somewhere... I don't know. I think I lost her near that barbeque place."

Sarutobi looked faintly exasperated at that, even as amusement colored his features. "Kokoro..."

"Hey!" Nariko finally cried, waving her free hand impatiently. "I'm still here, you know!" Having made herself known, the blonde pointed at the girl still held in her grasp. "Now, what do you mean, she's your granddaughter?"

"What else?" Kokoro interjected. "It means I'm his granddaughter, stupid!"

The genin glared at the small brunette, bristling for a second time that day, and lifted her fist once more. "Why you..."

Kokoro simply grinned smugly, as if unafraid of the blonde's threatening gesture. "You can't hurt me!" she proclaimed boldly. "I'm the Hokage's granddaughter, remember?"

Nariko paused for a moment and merely stared at her.

The Sandaime watched on, curiosity playing in his eyes though his pose remained relaxed. What was this? Was Nariko really developing a sense of propriety? He wouldn't have thought her to ever do as such. Well, at least not until she was much older and had learned that she could not always get away without such a thing, but now, when the girl was only twelve and ignorant of that knowledge, hesitation seemed strangely out of place and character for her. It was certainly not something he would have ever expected from her. In fact, he would have foreseen her doing something more like...

_**THWACK**_!

_"Oooooooowwwwwwww__!_"

...hitting his granddaughter across the head.

oxoxo

_Step. Step. Sneak. Sneak. Step. Step. Sneak. Sneak. Step. Step. Sneak_—_Halt_.

Dark eyes carefully peered past the leaves to observe the figure, who had suddenly halted in its step, before them with bated breath. After a short moment, said figure resumed its pace and the small shoulders relaxed before their owner proceeded with her task once more.

The child's gaze remained firmly locked on the orange-clad back as her eyebrows drew down into a puzzled stare.

_Honorable granddaughter, honorable granddaughter;_ that was who she had always been. Not Kokoro, not Kokoro-chan, not even an unneeded Kokoro-sama or Kokoro-san; just _honorable granddaughter _and that was it. Because of that, people had always seemed to treat her so... delicately.

_Mustn't hurt the_ _Hokage's granddaughter__. Mustn't allow her to be harmed. Mustn't even _touch _her because__—__heaven forbid!__—__she might break and the Hokage's favor be turned. After all, everyone knows that the Hokage's granddaughter is no better than a china _doll_._

Kokoro's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger as the words resounded in her mind, and her eyes shone unhappily. Gaze shifting slightly, the dark orbs came to rest on her current target, and the unhappiness faded somewhat.

But this girl... she had hit her. Not once had anyone ever raised a hand to Kokoro, excluding family, and this loud, stupid blonde had actually lifted her fist and thumped her across the head. She hadn't taken the crap Kokoro had been spouting at her or cared that the brunette was the Hokage's granddaughter or had even worried that the Sandaime had been right there, observing the entire exchange! She had just done it, completely unconcerned about who she was hitting or any possible consequences.

_'She just... _did it_.'_

And that was precisely why Kokoro had chosen to follow the blonde. She was... interesting and the brunette had become curious. What was so different about this girl that she had disregarded everything and had simply treated Kokoro like anyone else? Like any other annoying little kid who was acting a bit too big for their own good? Of course, Kokoro would never dub herself as annoying or arrogant, but the comparison remained.

Just what was it?...

Suddenly, Nariko turned around and jabbed a finger at the girl. Kokoro froze.

"Hey," the blonde said in an aggravated tone. "Why are you following me?"

The small girl sat stunned for a brief moment until her body and mind finally kicked in.

"_**What!**_" Kokoro gasped in shock, leaping to her feet. "That's incredible! How did you see through my brilliant disguise?"

Nariko's jaw dropped in shock. "B_-brilliant?"_ she sputtered, thrusting her finger again at the shorter girl. "It's a tree branch! A _dead_ tree branch!"

Indeed, the wooden limb held in the girl's palm was no more than a scraggly mess of branches with but a brown, crackly leaf or two to decorate and miserably fail at concealing the bareness of its current home. The large gaps between the branches made any figure who happened to choose to reside behind them clearly visible; so much so, in fact, that even a child should have been able to easily see through the pitiful disguise.

However, Kokoro seemed oblivious to the matter as she merely tossed the not-so-leafy limb aside and nodded thoughtfully.

"Such strong powers of perception," the brunette spoke aloud, rubbing her chin. "So, this is what it means to be a kunoichi. Impressive..."

Nariko regarded the younger warily, uncertain whether the girl was truly serious or simply mocking her. Yet another glance at Kokoro's expression and the blonde feared that the former was true.

Narrowing her eyes, Nariko placed her hands firmly on her hips, unknowing that in doing so, she greatly resembled her dark-haired rival. Still ignorant of that fact, the orange-clad genin eyed her little stalker carefully. However, after a moment or so, she shrugged, giving in to the girl's childish sense of awe and choosing to revel in it while she could.

Thus, Nariko grinned broadly at the brunette and tapped her headband. "Well, of course! This isn't just for show, you know." The orange-clad girl then lowered her hand and slid into a, perhaps just a bit over-exaggerated, defensive pose.

"I'm a true shinobi and a real kunoichi!" she continued, playfully punching at an imaginary enemy. She nodded once, resuming her upright stance and crossing her arms proudly, as if she had beaten the nonexistent foe, which she may very well have done in her mind.

"I'm the real deal!" she proclaimed loudly. "Of course I saw through your silly, little disguise!" The blonde nodded again, confident in her words. "I'm a genin, after all. It's what we do."

Kokoro's eyes grew wide with wonder as she gazed up at the girl in amazement. "Wow..." she whispered. Then, she blinked suddenly and her expression grew firm. Whipping out a hand, she pointed at the blonde sternly.

"Teach me!" the child demanded. "I'm gonna be your disciple and you'll be my mentor, okay? So, teach me how to be a real kunoichi!"

Nariko copied the brunette and blinked, repeating the action a few times. She finally frowned and glared at the younger girl.

"Hey, now!" the blonde growled out in annoyance. "Who do you think you are bossing me around like that! What if I don't wanna, _huh?_"

"But you have to!" Kokoro exclaimed, fists desperately clenched before her chest. "I'm not learning _anything_ from Emiko-sensei!" The girl pouted angrily. "She's a jounin and she won't teach me any cool jutsu, so it has to be you! You're a kunoichi too, so I bet I could learn tons more if you taught me!"

The whiskered girl, who'd had several irritated retorts prepared, perked up on hearing the shorter's words. What was this? She, Uzumaki Nariko, was being preferred over a jounin? A grin stretched across her cheeks and her chest swelled.

_'So, I'm better than a jounin, huh? Ha!' _Nariko thought gleefully. _'Ooh, wait 'til Sakaye-gaki hears about this! I bet _she's_ never been told that!'_

The genin lifted her chin happily, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "You know what, kid? You got it!"

Kokoro grinned and shouted, "Alright! When do we get started, Boss Lady?"

Nariko smirked at the new title, taking a strange liking to it. "Well, I do have this one jutsu. It's really cool and way top-secret. It took a lot of work for me to get a hold of it."

"Well, come on, what is is?" the brunette asked impatiently.

The blonde grinned broadly as she placed her fingers in a familiar hand sign. "It's just a little jutsu I like to call-"

Several Narikos poofed into existence, much to Kokoro's surprise, and the whiskered girl's grin only widened at the younger's stunned expression.

"-_Kage Bunshin no jutsu_."

"Whoa..." Kokoro whispered. "There's so many..."

Cautiously, she prodded one in the arm, only to jump back when her hand didn't go through.

"H-hey!" she exclaimed, whipping her head towards Nariko. "They're solid!"

The genin rolled her eyes. "Well, of course they are! That's why they're called Kage Bunshin and not just Bunshin."

"Emiko-sensei's done them before, but _never_ this many..." Kokoro suddenly wrinkled her nose. "She only does like one, if ever..."

Such a comment puffed Nariko's chest a little further, and her cheeks stretched so that nearly all her teeth shone through at the young girl. "Of course! That's why you chose me to teach you instead, right?"

The shorter female nodded seriously. "Right." Then, Kokoro placed her hands on her hips and glared at the genin. "So, are you going to teach me or what?"

Nariko rolled her eyes a second time in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah. I'm getting to that." Standing beside the brunette, she lifted her fingers into the hand sign once more. "Okay, here's what you've gotta do..."

oxoxo

A few hours later, Nariko regretted ever agreeing to the useless training.

"No, no, no!" the aforementioned girl cried. "You're not doing it right!"

Kokoro jerked her head towards her hand-picked mentor and spared her a foul look, gritting her teeth in frustration. "I'm _trying!_"

"Obviously, you're not trying hard enough!" Nariko snapped, placing her hands together once more. "I'll show you again. You have to focus your chakra like this..."

The steadily growing crowd of Nariko clones watched from afar and sighed as yet another group joined their bored numbers. Many of the newer ones eyed the ongoing training session listlessly, but most of the older doppelgangers that had been created somewhere in the middle had somehow acquired a few packs of playing cards and were currently engrossed in a rather uneventful game of Go Fish.

"Got any eights?" one of them inquired dully.

The one being questioned snarled angrily. "For the last time, _no!_ Stop asking!"

A bunshin beside her grimaced and placed a finger in her ear. "Tone it done, would you? I can barely hear myself think..."

"Think about what?" the first retorted. "How you're going to ask for yet _another_ two to match the one we _know _you're trying to get rid of?"

The clone flushed in response and glared, pulling her cards closer to her chest. "Oh, shut up..." she mumbled.

The oldest copies, which included the ones created towards the beginning of the session, had been there long enough to grow tired of the game and chose instead to just sleep the rest of the training away. Some of the braver ones even forced themselves to poof out of existence to escape the monotonous and mind-numbing wait lest they go insane with boredom.

The newest members gawked when one such bunshin, who had been tossing a rock around, allowed the stone to collide with her pigtailed head on its descent, finally bringing herself to disperse in a poof of smoke.

"That'll be you in a few hours," one clone splayed on a large boulder spoke up in response to the horrified stares.

Several of the newbies simply gulped and glanced back at their original and her pupil nervously.

Oblivious to the state of her clones and the misery she had placed them in by forgetting to release them, Nariko growled, shoving her hands back in her hair. "Why aren't you doing it? It's not _that_ hard! I mean, geez! I had it _long_ before now when_ I_ was learning it!"

Of course, "long before now" simply meant five minutes or so, but in her frustration, the blonde disregarded such details.

Kokoro's cheeks turned red and her fists clenched. "Well, maybe if you were a better teacher, I'd know it by now!" the small child bit out.

The blonde snapped her gaze towards the girl and fumed. "You little... ungrateful brat!" Nariko snatched the younger by the front of her shirt for the second time that day and shook her a little. "I am doing you a favor here! _You_ asked for me, _not_ the other way around, you hear? So, don't you dare go criticizing me when you're the one who _can't. Do it._ _Right!_" She punctuated the last few words with a shake in-between.

The brunette curled her lip, unimpressed by the girl's actions or words. "You're the one who can't do it right, _stupid!_" She tossed her head and tilted her chin pompously. "I should've just stuck with Emiko-sensei."

Nariko bristled at the girl's sudden and snobby attitude. "You- You- How dare you, you little brat! Don't you stick up your nose at me, unless you want me to–!"

"You there! What do you think you're _doing!_"

The orange-clad genin halted and shifted her aggravated gaze to examine the new arrival residing on a tree branch above them.

The woman was of average height and clad in the standard shinobi garb, minus the vest, but she wore her headband in a bandanna-like style on her head so that no bangs concealed her forehead. Her long, dark hair slid through beneath the triangle of cloth that topped her skull and over the knot that held the ends of her headband in place. A stern expression drew her eyebrows together over black sunglasses and her lips into a firm line. One arm lifted to push the glasses further up her nose, revealing that, like the blonde's former teacher, the woman's sleeves had been pushed to her elbows.

However, even with the dark-haired kunoichi's eyes hidden as they were, Nariko had the distinct impression that she was being glowered at.

"Do you have any idea exactly who you are holding in such a manner?" the woman called out, straightening into a stand and placing her hands on her hips. Without waiting for a response, she continued, frown deepening. "That is the Hokage's granddaughter, so unhand her now!"

The blonde narrowed her eyes, ignoring the woman's command. "And who are you supposed to be?"

The older kunoichi's expression tightened as she observed the girl who had taken her student captive with distaste. _'I can't believe it. It's _her_, that child...'_ Her lip curled at the thought.

Nariko tensed at the change in expression and her eyes darkened. _'Oh, great. It's _that_ look, that god-awful look...'_

Ignorant to either of the other female's thoughts, Kokoro groaned. "Oh no, it's _Emiko-sensei_..."

Emiko came to at that and jerked her gaze towards her student. "Honorable Granddaughter," she scolded, "I have been looking everywhere for you! What were you thinking, running off like that?"

"Trying to get away from you?..." the girl muttered under her breath.

Somehow the dark-haired kunoichi heard her student's quiet mutter and she sputtered momentarily. "H-Honorable Granddaughter! To say such a thing!" She shot a dark look and a sneer at Nariko as if it were the blonde's fault her student had said it.

Nariko scowled in return.

Emiko simply leapt down and grabbed Kokoro's scarf, tugging the girl along as she spoke. "Now, Honorable granddaughter, it's time we were getting back. You have much to learn and much training to get through." The woman paid no mind to her student's struggles as she continued. "It won't do for the Hokage's granddaughter to slack off like this."

"I wasn't slacking!" Kokoro cried in defense, jerking on the scarf around her neck and attempting to pull it out of her mentor's grasp. "I've been training with Nariko all day! See, look what she taught me!"

The brunette released her grip on the blue cloth and placed her hands together in the hand sign she had been taught. "_Kage bunshin no jutsu!_"

Emiko jolted in surprise at the cry and poof of smoke. _'N-No way! There's no possible way that she could have already learned that at her age, especially not from the Kyuubi child!'_

But then the cloud cleared, revealing Kokoro and one pitiful, pale copy of herself that seemed barely able to stand on its own—which seemed strangely reminiscent of a certain blonde's attempts at normal Bunshin in her Academy days...

The brunette's face warped with despair. "Aw, man! Not again!"

The dark-haired woman relaxed and smirked to herself. _'Just as I thought. There's no way _that_ girl could have taught her such a thing...'_

Nariko spied the smirk on Emiko's face and, as it directed itself towards her, seemed to understand the gist behind it. She flushed angrily and furiously placed her hands together in another seal. _'You–you bitch! I'll show you...'_

"_Bishounen no jutsu!_" the blonde cried.

The large crowd of Nariko clones perked up at this. The card players' heads whipped in the original's direction, and one bunshin that held a stone in her hand, prepared to follow her predecessor, dropped the object instantly and regarded the scene before her with new interest.

The smoke cleared, and the blonde audience let out several loud cries of approval and excitement.

"Oh, yeah! Take it off!"

"Now that's what I call a bishie!"

"Woohoo! Show her girl, er, boy!"

"Get it _on!_"

Perfect lips curled into a smile at the response, and the beautiful male raised a hand placatingly. "Ladies, ladies," he crooned. "There's more than enough to go around."

The exceptionally-large cluster of bunshin laughed in response and continued with their over-exaggerated screams.

Emiko clicked her jaw shut, as it had dropped open at the jutsu's initiation, and blushed deeply as she stuttered.

"Th-that's–" she said, flustered. "Wh-what a silly... vulgar jutsu! T-to have such a thing–" She shoved her glasses up her nose a little harder than necessary. "R-ridiculous! Simply... ridiculous!"

The mob of Narikos released sounds of disbelief and protest at the jounin's words.

"_What?_ No way!"

"Are you kidding?"

"Are you insane?"

"Are you _blind?_"

"Must be those damn glasses..."

Kokoro scowled at Nariko and crossed her arms. "Hey..." she complained. "Why didn't you teach me _that_ instead of stupid Kage Bunshin?..."

The now male blond paid no mind to the small brunette and simply eyed the woman before him carefully.

Flushed cheeks, sweaty palms, painfully-obvious stutter; yeah, she was definitely affected, but just not enough...

He smirked. "Better turn it up a little then." The criminally-attractive man turned towards the crowd of orange-clad genin behind him. "Alright, girls, let's go to _that_ technique!" He grinned at the overwhelming response he got in return.

"You got it, Boss!" they giggled, placing their hands in a familiar sign.

The male spun back around and placed his hands on his hips. "Now!" he cried, voice synchronizing with the clones behind him. "Special technique: _Bishie Overload!_"

Emiko's eyes grew round behind her sunglasses as a bare-chested male appeared in the place of every preteen girl. She gaped, mouth opening and closing silently, and stood unmoving as they clustered towards her.

"Oh, Emiko-chan..." one crooned softly, brushing her cheek with a hand.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" another whispered in her ear, lightly massaging her shoulder with his fingers and twirling a lock of her hair.

The dark-haired woman only released an odd sound in response.

"Let's get rid of this silly bandanna," a third one near her back said huskily, untying it and slipping the headband gently from her head. He ran his fingers through her black locks as he went.

Yet another before her grinned charmingly and slid the glasses from her face. "And these silly sunglasses too, so we can see those gorgeous eyes."

Emiko's breathing increased at the unexpected ministrations from the beautiful men, and her cheeks darkened further with blood, her heart pounding a quick, unsteady rhythm within her chest.

The original Nariko bishounen smirked as he watched from a little farther back. _'Not much longer now...'_

And he was right, for not but a few seconds later it all became too much, and poor Emiko dropped into a dead faint, a trickle of blood beginning to dribble from her nose.

Now grinning, Nariko released not only her henge, but the rest of her clones as well. The blonde frowned in confusion when she heard numerous cries of _"Finally!"_ but shrugging it off, she turned back to Kokoro to find the brunette glaring at her.

The genin narrowed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

The smaller girl huffed angrily. "Why didn't you teach me _that? _That Bishounen no jutsu thing? It definitely worked a _lot_ better on Emiko-sensei..."

Nariko scowled slightly. "Hey, it only worked _because_ I used it with Kage Bunshin, and the only reason your Kage Bunshin didn't work was because you suck at it." She then shut her eyes and crossed her arms. "Besides, why the hell would I teach _you_ my special technique?"

Kokoro gritted her teeth and, without thinking, spouted off the only reason anyone else had ever needed. "Because I'm the Hokage's _granddaughter!_" she spat out bitterly.

However, to the brunette's shock, Nariko merely snorted. "Oh, yeah? You think just because you're the Old Man's grand kid, I'm going to change my mind? _Please_, like I'd want to teach some annoying, _ungrateful_ brat _my _special technique!" The blonde crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air, eyes sliding shut. "Especially when you ask like _that_..."

However, Kokoro was no longer listening. Instead, she gaped at the blonde as the orange-clad girl's words echoed in her mind.

"_You think just because you're the Old Man's grandkid-?"_

"_-some annoying, _ungrateful_ brat-!"_

The brunette stared wordlessly at her chosen mentor in a stunned silence.

Curious by the sudden quiet, the whiskered girl blinked and glanced at the Hokage's granddaughter curiously. "Eh? What's with you? Got nothing else to say?"

"You..."

Nariko furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head to one side, confused by the girl's wide-eyed expression. "Yeah?..."

Disbelief and wonder shone in Kokoro's eyes. "You really don't care. You really don't care that I'm the Hokage's granddaughter..."

The blonde frowned deeply. "Well, of course not." She then glared slightly. "Who you're related to doesn't make you special or who you are, so I'm not giving you any special treatment just because you're family to the Old Man." She crossed her arms and shut her eyes again. "You're just a stuck-up, bratty little girl. That's all."

"You don't care..." Kokoro murmured. "You don't _care..._"

Nariko reopened her eyes, startled to note tears collecting in the brunette's dark ones.

"H-hey!" the whiskered kunoichi cried. "What's with the water works all of a sudden? I mean... Come on..." She held out her hands in a placating gesture. "Knock it off... I guess, I mean– I didn't mean that I didn't care at _all_... I guess. Er..."

The smaller girl sniffed and rubbed her eyes, shaking her head. "It's not that," she choked. "I'm-I'm happy. No one... I mean, I..." She inhaled shakily. "I've always been the Hokage's granddaughter. Whenever people talk about me, that's what they call me. They just refer to me as the Hokage's granddaughter or something like that."

Using her scarf to wipe her eyes, Kokoro continued. "When I was born, Gramps wanted to name me Konohako—you know, after the village and all—but my mom wouldn't let him because she didn't like the way it sounded." Her lips quirked up for a moment. "So, instead he offered up Kokoro, or _Heart_, like I'm the heart of the village. That's what he calls me sometimes actually. He says it's in the kids of my generation that the good things of the village—its heart, its innocence, its future—are and I'm, well, my name is supposed to be a representation of all that."

Then, the girl's face wrinkled miserably, red blotches forming on her cheeks. "But even though I have that name and all, no one ever uses it. I'm just the Hokage's granddaughter or _Honorable_ _Granddaughter_, or– or–" She sniffled helplessly, fingers twisting in her scarf. "I'm not Kokoro; I'm _never_ Kokoro. I'm just _his_ granddaughter. That's it. I'm never me... Not to anyone..."

Despite her thick tone, Kokoro's head jerked up suddenly and her eyes shone strangely as they locked on the blonde.

"But you..." she began. "You don't care. You don't care at all. No one else would ever think to do or say the things you've done to me, the Hokage's granddaughter, but you did. _You did._ I'm not the _Honorable Granddaughter_ or anything like that to you. I'm just like any other kid. You..."

The girl paused for a moment. "...You're the only one who's ever treated me like... well... _me_."

Nariko observed the girl quietly for a long minute or so—long enough that Kokoro began to grow uncomfortable with the elder's stare. The brunette flushed and flicked her gaze down somewhere at the genin's feet, wiping her nose with the already-quite-wet scarf.

The blonde frowned slightly. '_Treated based on someone or something else...'_

The dark, hate-filled eyes of the villagers and the recent sneer from Emiko materialized within her mind's eye. A hand subconsciously slipped to her stomach and her fingers clutched the dark cloth of her tank, knowing what resided beneath. _'Yeah... I know that pretty well...'_

However, a smile manifested itself upon the kunoichi's lips. "You know... you may suck at Kage Bunshin," she said lightly, "but..." She flitted her cerulean orbs to Kokoro's wide, still wet, dark ones. "I think I actually do kinda like you... a little bit..."

Nariko then grinned unexpectedly and beamed at the girl, eyes falling shut. "...Kokoro."

The younger girl's breath caught in her throat as she gawked at the blonde. _'My... My name... She said my name... Kokoro...'_ The corners of the brunette's lips slowly stretched on her cheeks until her smile nearly matched Nariko's own trademark grin.

"What? Not Brat? Not Kid?" Kokoro inquired playfully, though it could in no way mask the exuberance in her voice.

Nariko's grin merely widened. "Nah... You're still both of those, but I dunno. Kokoro has a certain... ring to it." She winked at the girl as she said this.

The girl in question giggled. "Yeah..." Visage softening, she smiled at the genin. "Thank you, Nariko."

The blonde simply laughed and waved a hand dismissively. "Hey, don't mention it, alright?"

Kokoro's eyes gleamed happily. "Okay."

oxoxo

Nariko grinned as she waved at the young girl and her new-found friend as Kokoro took off down the street, claiming a need to get home to dinner. The blonde slipped a hand down to rub her own growling stomach.

"Man, I'm starved," she grumbled, glancing around. She perked up on spotting the well-loved Ichiraku noodle shop.

"Ah, perfect!" she squealed, bounding over and promptly ordering a bowl of pork ramen.

She hummed pleasantly as she slurped at the slippery pasta, smacking happily once she had swallowed. "Delicious!" the orange-clad girl exclaimed.

The Ichiraku woman, Terumi, smiled at her. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," she said. "You are my best customer, after all." The older woman laughed lightly at this.

Nariko giggled in reply. "Of course! Your noodles are the best I've ever tasted!"

Terumi grinned and Akio, her son, stepped out of the kitchen to refill the jar of chopsticks kept on the counter for customer convenience and to replace the genin's empty bowl with another helping. The blonde shoved the ramen into her mouth eagerly.

"Hey, by the way," Akio questioned on his return with a curious grin, bracing his elbows on the high counter top, "how was your mission today?"

Nariko blinked in confusion and swallowed, frowning. "Mission? What mission?"

"You know," the male replied, "the mission you were complaining about this morning?" He smiled patiently at Nariko's blank stare. "The D-rank with your team?"

"You said you were going to try and get Hokage-sama to change it," Terumi added, looking slightly amused.

The orange-clad genin's eyes slowly widened, her mouth dropped open, and the chopsticks slid from her fingers to clatter on the counter top.

"The mission!" she squeaked. "My team, they'll-"

She cut off on sensing the murderous aura that instantly leadened the air. Swallowing hard and terror flashing across her face, she reluctantly turned frightened blue eyes to her teammates.

Seiichi cracked his knuckles threateningly, shoulders tense and face gone red with anger. Sakaye regarded Nariko with a dark, evil glare, expression tight.

Simply put, they were pissed.

A quick glance at Kairi revealed the jounin to be reading her red book mutely, though if her unusually tight grip on the novel and the displeased glint to her eye meant anything, she was not happy either.

Nariko lifted her hands in an attempt to calm the rest of her squad. "H-hey, I can explain! You see, I was with the Old Man and there was this little girl–!"

"You ditched us," Seiichi cut in, "to play with some _kid?_" His voice rose until he hit the last word with a furious yell that would have likely been an unholy shriek had he been female.

Nariko shrunk back. "Wh-what? No, no, it's not like that! I mean, I was coming back, but I lost track of time and—hey, guys... Guys? Seiichi-kun, wh-what are you doing?..."

The pinket cracked his knuckles once more, face spelling certain doom for the blonde. "You know..." he hissed. "I'm really not in the habit of hitting girls, but I think I can make an exception... Just this once."

_**CRACK!**_

"_Ooooooooooowwwww!_"

"Oh, shut up, Ditz," Sakaye bit out venomously.

"...Or I could let Sakaye-chan do it."

Kairi giggled, having returned to her book fully now that the situation had been handled. "You go, Yuri-kun..."

Seiichi merely sighed.

oxoxo

A tan hand slipped through the strap of its owner's bag and jerked it up on to the sturdy shoulder, tugging once on the pack's dark cloth. A pair of lips frowned as it gave slightly, the threads creaking with displeasure. The figure sighed and slid his gaze to the two before him.

"I'm off," he said simply.

The other male nodded at him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful," the second said firmly.

The original man nodded in reply and bent down to bid the small child by the other farewell. He pulled the smaller into a hug, frowning into the dark hair when he received only the barest of responses.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" he murmured.

The child didn't respond, and the man reluctantly relinquished his hold. He then stood once more and gave one last word of parting before turning to begin his very long journey.

**End Arc 2**

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– Yet another original title. Yay. _**Laughs.**_

– This is my longest chapter to date at about 6500 words.

– This is the first time Nariko has used her _Bishounen no jutsu_ since Chapter 1 when she did so to escape Izumi.

– This chapter was actually written after what originally had been Chapter 13 and is now Chapter 14 because of the insertion of this chapter. I realized that I had completely forgotten about Kokoro and that, if I wanted to have her later, I needed some way to introduce her now since the point in which Kokoro appears again will be the Chunin Exams arc, where a lot of introductions will be made. I didn't need to add another description and introduction to the mix, so I wrote this.

– This was also going to be labeled as an Omake chapter, but with the help of my best friend, I realized that some people might get the impression that they could just skip over it if they wished or they might feel it annoyingly-long for just an Omake. I wanted people to read the chapter, especially the final, foreshadowing scene, so I removed the "Omake" from the tittle and made it a normal chapter. Somehow that one word manages to alter the perspective in a way I now see and did not realize.

– I originally considered introducing Kokoro in Chapter 6, after Nariko's return of the scroll and meeting with Kairi, but decided to stick with what I had and insert it here to switch it up a bit from the original Canon. I had that same reasoning when deciding to have Nariko teach Kokoro _Kage Bunshin_ as opposed to _Bishounen no Jutsu_.

– Kairi's mention of "Yuri-kun" as she reads her novel references Sasuke's English Voice Actor. **_Grins._** Expect to see more of these.

– Asami, or our Female Asuma, is the fourth character thus far, after Seiichi, Ikuo, and Okimi, to have her name mentioned in a chapter before and separate from when we actually meet her in the story.

– Terumi, the Ichiraku woman, first made her appearance in Chapter 3, where she is briefly mentioned as Izumi and Nariko are eating there. However, this is Akio's first appearance, excluding a small mention regarding the Ichiraku woman's son in the same chapter.


	12. C Rank, please

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:** We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 12: _C-Rank, Please!_

(Completed: 02-20-10)

x

x

"What do you _mean _you want a higher-ranked mission!"

Kairi sighed and Seiichi chuckled nervously, pushing his fingers back through his bangs and shifting uncomfortably. Sakaye merely scowled at the blonde beside her.

Said blonde paid no mind to the Uchiha, instead glaring stubbornly at her former teacher.

"Just like I said, Izumi-sensei!" Nariko cried. "I want a better mission, not these baby missions you've been giving us!"

The brunette twitched and gave the girl her own stern glare. "Nariko, you're a genin and not only that but a _new _genin! Until you've gained more experience than you have, you're going to be stuck with D-rank."

"But it's been a whole month now!" the girl whined. "How much more experience do you _need?"_

The chunin sighed with irritation, suddenly reminded how frustrating it could be to deal with her hard-headed student.

_'Ex-student,__' _her mind chimed.

The thought made Izumi frown slightly as she observed the short girl.

Ever since Nariko had graduated and become a part of her new squad, Izumi had found it more and more difficult to spend time with her. Between her own hours as a teacher and Nariko's new missions, it was understandable why, but she still couldn't help but think...

Her eyes saddened as she regarded her former student.

A part of her knew that as a teacher she shouldn't favor one student over another and actually desiring to spend time with a specific student after she had already left her care could most certainly be considered favoritism. Even so, Nariko was special. She was the little girl she had watched over since the blonde had barely been any more than an Academy upstart. She was one of her precious people, and Izumi missed her loud mouth and bright attitude.

The thought of giving her a mission any higher than a D-rank absolutely terrified her. She in no way actually doubted Kairi's skill—Copy Cat Kairi's reputation was widely known amongst the shinobi community, after all—but she knew what could happen to genin sent out before they were ready, had seen it first-hand, in fact, and knew how wrong a simple C-rank could actually go; and Nariko... Nariko was just so terribly headstrong and confident.

It was genin like her who died early.

The thought of the blonde, bloody and mangled, eyes blank and unseeing; it turned her stomach and almost made her physically ill...

"Izumi?"

The brunette jumped and turned her head.

Sarutobi observed her carefully, pipe dangling from his lips. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale..."

Though his tone seemed questioning, Izumi felt the Hokage already knew her concerns and that it was them that made her unwell. Something about his eyes—Perhaps a glimmer of understanding?—made her believe as such.

Blushing faintly in embarrassment, Izumi shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Ah... Yes, Hokage-sama, I'm fine."

The brunette glanced at her student and noted the concern she found in the girl's face. The sight melted her and Izumi smiled at the blonde genin reassuringly, before clearing her throat and straightening again. As she did so, she felt Kairi's single eye boring into her, and somehow she feared that perhaps the jounin knew of her worries as well.

"Izumi's right," the Third spoke up, removing his pipe from his mouth to expel the smoke from his lungs. "It's still too early for you three to take on a mission of higher rank. You lack the experience or even the maturity for-"

"_Come on, _Old Man!" Nariko cried, interrupting him. "I'm not a little kid anymore who spends her time painting the Hokage Tower or thinking up pranks! I'm a kunoichi now and a shinobi of Konoha, and I'm sick and tired of you babying us with these lame jobs you call missions!" Her nostrils flared as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, eyes flashing. "I want a _real _mission, Gramps! I can't take it anymore!"

". . ."

The whiskered girl yelped as Kairi rapped her student's head with a sigh. "You really have no concept of an _Inside Voice,_ do you?..."

The Sandaime watched silently as Nariko proceeded to complain to the woman for her actions. Observing the girl's squad mates, he smiled to himself.

Seiichi glared at Nariko, eyebrows drawn down and lip curled in annoyance. His shoulders were tense and his posture radiated irritation, but many years upon years of experience as a shinobi allowed the Third to see the hint of impatience to his eyes. The boy was nervous about taking on a mission of higher rank, but he wanted it as well, to test himself and perhaps show off to the pretty Uchiha survivor on his squad?...

Sarutobi smiled again on seeing the male genin's eyes dart towards the pale girl and the shifting of his feet in another restless gesture.

Sakaye herself stood by the blonde, eyes narrowed and lips pulled tight. As the Hokage's gaze came to rest on her, the dark orbs slid to his. She stared quietly at him and the elderly man knew, though she was not as vocal about it as Nariko, that she wanted that C-rank as well. Of course, he also knew it was for reasons different than what the orange-clad genin had in mind.

His gaze drifted past Nariko—he already knew how eager she was—and instead landed on their silver-haired sensei.

The woman's stance seemed lazy enough, but the Sandaime could see the sharp, restless look to her eye. Kairi was a seasoned jounin and a former ANBU as well. She had been taking missions from an age almost more than half of that of her student's. Though her supposed laid-back posture and easy-going attitude might bring one to think she would enjoy the time off, Sarutobi knew it wasn't so. Kairi wasn't a Nara; she was a Hatake and not one to be able to take such a lull in her mission times lightly.

Due to recent circumstances, the jounin was being forced to accompany infrequent missions of a much, much lower rank than she normally took. That, coupled with her having never taken on a genin squad before, and the woman was unused to such a break in her mission schedule. While she may have appreciated the time off to read her book at first, the lack of missions her level, with the action she was used to, had been taking its toll on her, making her restless. Sarutobi might even have gone so far as to say she wanted the mission as much as her students did.

He smiled secretly to himself, interested by the new developments. If Nariko had been the only one to seem ready, he would have never considered, but as the case seemed otherwise...

"Alright," he finally said with a chuckle. "Since you seem so insistent upon it, you may have a C-rank."

"For the last time, Old Man, I'm telling you I want a–"

"_Idiot!_" Seiichi hissed. "He's giving us a _C-rank_, not a D-rank!"

It took a moment for her crush's words to register, but once they did, Nariko gasped excitedly and turned to the Hokage, eyes sparkling. "_Really?_ No way!" Without waiting for a confirmation, she proceeded to cheer excitedly, hopping up and down.

The Sandaime chuckled again, shaking his head at the girl's antics, before he flitted his gaze towards the brunette beside him.

Izumi gaped in shock, staring blankly at her former pupil.

Of course the Third knew precisely of the chunin's fears. The woman was rather close to the orange-clad genin, and through that it wasn't terribly hard to figure out or understand her concerns. She honestly cared for Nariko and worried for her safety. How could she not when she loved the girl as much as she did? It was love that brought people the desire to protect the ones close to them, and even from when Izumi had first taken the blonde under her wing, Sarutobi had seen how much she had cared. She, after all, had been the one to watch over the girl when he was unable, to nurture her like only a woman could, to comfort her, love her, worry over her...

He only wondered if Izumi knew how motherly she actually was to the enthusiastic preteen. He hid another quirk of his lips and returned to the four before him. Whether Izumi was ready or not, Squad 7 was, especially the blonde loudmouth known as Nariko. It wasn't up to her anyway; it was up to them, and he wasn't going to hold them back for her sake.

"Ha ha!" Nariko giggled. "I knew you would see my skills sooner or later! So, what's the mission? Helping a prince? Finding a _secret _scroll? Hunting rogue nin across the country? _Rescuing_ a prince?" The girl squealed and sighed dreamily to herself, both at the thought and the dashing figure that had materialized within her mind.

The Hokage's eyebrows slowly rose in bemusement. "Well, I wouldn't call him a prince, but you are helping someone..."

"What about a lord?" Nariko exclaimed, hands clasped before her eagerly. "A lord is cool, too!"

Sarutobi couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. "Why don't I send him in and let you see for yourself?" He gestured for the shinobi at the door to collect their client, and it didn't take long for footsteps to echo down the hall again.

The blonde whipped around, thoughts whirling in her head. _'Oh, who could it be? Is he important? Powerful? Handsome? My age? Old geezer? Who? _Who!_' _

The door slid open, Nariko's breath caught...

...and released in a disappointed whoosh.

The man, while not elderly or necessarily unattractive, was obviously _not _a prince.

His face was fine enough: tan skin, short black hair that spiked up slightly in the back, and dark eyes made up a nice, if not a little average visage. His clothes weren't all that bad either. Not the silken robes of a daimyo or the thick armor of a samurai, but they were simple: a short-sleeved pale blue shirt that zipped in the front, a pair of practical black high waters, and a set of sandals similar to their own upon his feet.

All in all, the man was simple, average...

'_Bor-in__g...' _Nariko thought unhappily.

"Is this a _joke?"_ the female genin cried, whirling around to pout at Sarutobi. "I thought we were going to get someone cool or at least _interesting._ This guy looks like a total bore!"

Seiichi rolled his eyes and sighed with annoyance, muttering something along the lines of "unappreciative, loud blondes," though he seemed just as disappointed as she.

A mixture of relief and worry flashed through Izumi's eyes on realizing what mission the team had been given, before she snapped to and glared at the blonde, bracing her palms on the table.

"Nariko," the brunette scolded, "how dare you be so ungrateful! Most genin aren't allowed C-rank missions until they've completed at least _two _months of D-rank. Hokage-sama is doing you a favor by even permitting this!"

"But _look _at him!" Nariko whined, jabbing a finger at the man. "He looks _boring_... I wanted a C-rank so I could do cool things!"

"You don't even know what the mission is!" Izumi exclaimed, throwing her hands up in a mixture of frustration and exasperation, revealing that perhaps she had dealt with this sort of behavior from the short blonde one too many times.

The whiskered girl suddenly perked up, eyes going round. "Eh? Eh?" She whipped her head towards the Third, grinning broadly and almost bouncing with excitement. "What is it then? Come on, tell me: is it good?"

Sarutobi lightly grasped his pipe in an attempt to hide a smile that had formed on observing the girl's sudden change in mood and attitude.

"Well..." he began. "You four will be escorting Toshirou-san here back to his home in the Land of Waves."

Nariko blinked and frowned, expression becoming disgruntled. "Escort?... You mean, we're just going to babysit him to his house? That's it?" The blonde crossed her arms and groaned. "Ugh... That's not cool at _all_..."

Disbelief consumed Seiichi's features as he turned his head to give the girl a shocked, open-mouthed look.

"Didn't you hear a word he _said?_" the pinket gaped, stunned by his teammate's displeasure towards their given mission. "Hokage-sama said he lives in the Land of _Waves_."

Blue orbs regarded him blankly, and the male genin emitted an aggravated groan.

"Land of Waves?" he continued. "At least a _week's_ journey from us if you're a shinobi and run? Two if you're not and walk? Big island in the middle of the _ocean?..._"

The orange-clad girl continued to stare at her teammate as she processed the information. Her eyes suddenly bulged and she gasped. "What? _Really?_" She snapped her head towards Izumi and the Third for confirmation.

The Sandaime smiled lightly around his pipe and the female chunin simply looked exasperated—Exactly _how _many times had they looked over maps of the five great nations in class?—before nodding to indicate that yes, the olive-eyed boy was correct.

Paying no mind to Seiichi's smug grin, Nariko bounced where she stood. "That's awesome! I can't believe it!" She whirled around to Toshirou, their new client, and beamed. "You know, I really thought this would suck and all because you don't look like much and seem really boring, but I had no idea you lived so far away! I've never been out of the village before, so this is great!" The corners of her lips pulled far on her cheeks, making her eyes go shut with the force. "I'm Uzumaki Nariko, by the way, and glad to be your escort!"

Toshirou simply remained silent, eyes wide and unblinking, though he must have done so at some point since entering the room. Even so, his gaze had stuck fast to the blonde and her squad since he had first set sight on them, and for that, he seemed oddly stunned as his dark orbs slid from her to Sakaye to Seiichi, briefly over Kairi, and then back to her again. He continued to stare at Nariko mutely, expression unchanging.

The whiskered girl's smile slowly slipped from her face at his odd behavior. "Hey... Hey, mister!" She waved a hand before him. "Hey, are you okay? Hell~o..."

The dark-haired male blinked once, glancing them over again. "...You three are shinobi?" His face became incredulous as he spoke. "At such an _age?..._"

Misinterpreting the meaning of his words, Nariko flushed with anger and glared indignantly at him. "Hey now, not _all_ ninja can be geniuses who graduate at like... Three or something, _okay!_ I'll have you know twelve is a perfectly good age to be a genin!"

Seeming not to hear her, Toshirou persisted in his scan of them, face tight and dark eyes unreadable. "And you two..." His gaze darted between Sakaye and Nariko. "Why are you shinobi?"

The female Uchiha suddenly went stiff and she glowered at the older man, displeased by his question and the implications behind it.

Nariko merely gawked at him, growing livid as the flush to her face darkened.

"Y-you... What are you saying, _huh?_" the preteen squealed angrily. "That girls can't be ninja? _Is that it?_ _**Ooh!**_ I'll show you!"

Kairi quickly restrained the blonde by grabbing the collar of her jacket. Nariko struggled against her grip, flailing her arms and stretching towards the male they were set to escort. Furious nothings spat from her mouth as she did so, littering the air with her unintelligible screams.

Puzzled by the girl's reaction, Toshirou frowned, seemingly unhappy with her behavior, as the dubious look to his eyes increased.

Kairi glanced over the occupants of the room; from Sarutobi, who sighed softly, and Izumi, who moaned, rubbing her temples; to Sakaye, who fumed silently, expression dark, and Seiichi, who pressed his face into his palm, groaning with embarrassment; then finally to Nariko, who carried on with her cries, struggling in the jounin's grip, and their client, who watched them doubtfully.

The silver-haired woman sighed. "Glad to know we're starting off so well..."

But of course, the mutter went unheard.

oxoxo

"I really am sorry. I just meant that you seem so young, and as for your gender..."

Toshirou frowned as they stood at the gate, preparing to exit the village. "I have a daughter of my own, a few years younger than you. I pictured a team of men closer to my age, not three children, two who could practically _be _my daughter, for that matter..."

Nariko scowled, glancing at the older man reluctantly, as Kairi nodded.

"That's understandable," the masked kunoichi replied. "To civilians, the age of shinobi does tend to come as a surprise." She glanced up at Toshirou from her book. "And given your daughter, I suppose it's no wonder you regarded Nariko and Sakaye's presence with such displeasure. Therefore, all can be forgiven and differences can be set _aside..._"

Nariko grimaced at her teacher's pointed look.

"Yeah, yeah..." the young girl muttered. "I get it already. Apology accepted. Blah Blah blah..."

Suddenly, the loud genin brightened and grinned broadly. "But come on, let's get going!" She sprinted towards the gateway. "I've never been out of the village before and I wanna see what it's like!"

"So I've heard..." Toshirou couldn't help but mutter, a wry grin tugging at his features as he recalled she had said something similar when learning precisely how far away he lived.

"You know, Nariko," Kairi called after the blonde, "the point of the mission is to escort our client, not outrun him."

Going ignored by the short genin, the silver-haired woman merely shook her head and sighed yet again that day.

Seiichi looked back at the other male to their group, curiously watching as he dug around in the backpack that had gone unnoticed on their first examination of him.

"What are you doing?" the male genin questioned.

Toshirou didn't answer and instead removed a broad straw hat and what looked to be a cloak from his pack. The hat was worn around the edges and the cloak appeared to have seen better days, but they were well taken care of and apparently served their purpose if Toshirou's application of the articles was any indication.

The pinket frowned as the older man, having tied the hat securely to his head, proceeded to wrap the cloak around his shoulders. It was only then that Seiichi realized it was a rain coat of some sort.

The boy blinked in confusion, and Sakaye flicked her gaze back towards the man as well.

"Why are you putting that on?" Seiichi questioned again. "It's not–"

A sudden crack of thunder and an unhappy squeal, courtesy of Nariko, filled the air as a downpour of water gushed from the sky.

Toshirou slid past as Seiichi gaped up at the suddenly dark clouds, stunned.

"When you're raised around fishermen, you learn to predict a coming storm," the elder explained.

"...Oh."

oxoxo

A few days later and the mini-monsoon continued with no sign of stopping.

"You know, I thought it only rained for days in the _Rain_ village..."

Kairi chuckled softly. "Contrary to its name, the Land of Fire is actually quite wet."

Seiichi grimaced at that and grumbled to himself. "So I've noticed..."

Nariko simply sniffed glumly as they trekked down the path, the rain pounding upon them mercilessly. Excluding the earlier conversation, all was quiet but for the pitter patter of water on the leaves and the sound of mud squelching beneath their sandals and, much to their displeasure, between their toes.

Sakaye turned her gaze downwards, her lip curling in disgust. The feeling of the brown ooze brought chills to her form, and it was only the assertion that she uphold her stoic façade that kept her from shuddering in revulsion.

Ignoring his mud-coated feet, Seiichi instead unhappily regarded the pink hair sticking to his face. He shook his head hard in an attempt to remove the unyielding bangs, but they continued to cling to his forehead and cheeks, merely sliding into a different position with each jerk of his skull. Finally giving up on trying to stay "manly," the pinket grudgingly brushed the hair from his eyes and tucked it behind his ears so that his vision could clear.

Or as much as it could clear with the sky flooding them as it was.

Seiichi squinted, attempting to see through the downpour, but try as he might, he could make out nothing distinct. He could discern shadows and some shapes, but the edges were fuzzy, and it was difficult to determine what they were until he was at least a few feet away.

Exhaling deeply, the male genin scanned the area around them, uncertain by the lack of clarity. If they were to be attacked, it would be very difficult to tell until it was too late. Thankfully, they weren't expected to meet anyone but perhaps a bandit or two, and even then, the chances of that were slim. If that weren't enough to settle his nerves, they also had a seasoned jounin accompanying them, so they were considerably safe.

A pitiful whimper cut the air, and the pinket attempted to glare irritatedly at his blonde teammate. It was only because of her _bright _orange jacket that he could determine her position.

_'Thank god for that,' _he thought sarcastically, rolling his eyes. _'I'll know exactly where she is if I need her...'_

Seiichi grimaced and released a sigh. "Lovely..."

Sakaye paid no mind to the pink-haired male by her side or his displeased mutter, instead watching as the rain lessened somewhat—not significantly, but enough so that their range of vision noticeably improved. She flicked her eyes about, checking for enemies despite knowing the possibility was unlikely. A shinobi could never be too careful, right?

She rolled her eyes at that and proceeded with her observations.

Kairi gave no thought to the rain—she had suffered through worse weather in her career as a kunoichi—though she was rather disappointed at being unable to read her novel.

_'I'll never find out if Noriaki chooses between Junko or Chie at this rate,' _the woman thought gloomily as she gave her bag a wistful glance, _'and I really want to know if Hideo will ever tell Dan the truth...'_

The jounin's soft sigh caught Toshirou's attention and he spared her a glance before examining the three genin before him. He had done it so often by this point that it had nearly become habit. A troubled frown toyed with his features and his eyebrows drew together uneasily.

He hadn't been lying when he had said he had expected a team of men. When he had been told he would have a squad of four ninja escorting him, he had instantly pictured four seasoned males who knew what they were doing, not a woman who looked to be at least five years younger than himself and three wet-behind-the-ears children who had only become shinobi a mere month ago.

He shut his eyes thoughtfully. It had been difficult to believe just how young they were. Only twelve, _twelve,_ just a few years older than his little girl, and they were already in such a career. It absolutely made him ill. On noting the two female genin, he couldn't help but see his little Isano in their place and he wondered how any father could bear to allow his young daughter in such an occupation. It surpassed his own comprehension, and he gave up trying to reason it within his mind.

Seeing his young escorts had turned his stomach for another reason however. Having to lie to the mission board had been unpleasant enough, he thought. The assurance he had created for himself that he was going to have four older men guarding him had eased the guilt, but meeting the three preteens, his _true _escorts, had destroyed that image and he had nearly spilled it all. Yet, the thought of his daughter at home waiting on him and knowing where it would leave her if he told the truth... It had returned the steel to his resolve and he had pushed such concerns from his mind.

Hopefully, the trip to his home would go without a hitch and all would be well. They'd drop him off, he'd thank them for their services, and they'd be on their way again, things returning to normal...

Normal; he wondered if he should consider that a good thing.

The resounding clash of metal brought him to again, and Toshirou whipped his head back so hard his neck ached. The sight of Kairi holding back the steel claws of a sinister-looking shinobi with a kunai met his startled vision.

"Protect the client!" the jounin ordered, shoving the ninja away from her, as his partner slipped past.

The silver-haired woman glanced sharply at the second nin, and her visible eye narrowed.

Nariko simply gaped at the oncoming shinobi and Seiichi, after a moment's shock, quickly slipped into a defensive stance, but the ninja ignored them both, instead zipping towards Toshirou.

The dark-haired male jerked, as Sakaye instantly slid in front of him and whipped a kunai at their advancing foe. The female genin's eyes widened slightly, as the enemy nin simply flicked the weapon away and proceeded forward without pause.

"Sakaye-chan!" Seiichi shouted, snapping his head towards his teammate.

The Uchiha survivor quickly snatched another kunai from her bag and flipped it into her hand so that she held it before her, while reaching into her weapons' pouch for a handful of shuriken. Her expression tightened and her nostrils flared, a strange, almost-feverish anticipation shining in her eyes.

Toshirou's breath caught in fear at the young girl's stance, and his daughter's form replaced hers. A sudden, powerful urge to shove the dark-haired genin out of the way consumed him, but as his arms tensed for the action, Kairi appeared, foot whipping out to smack the nin alongside his head.

The adversary lurched and swung his metal claws in an attempt to tear her calf, only for the jounin to snap her hand out and grab his wrist, instantaneously twisting it with a sickening crack and bringing a strangled growl from the shinobi. Within moments, the female jounin had the opposing ninja bound beside his partner, who she had incapacitated shortly beforehand.

The five surrounded the enemy nin, the rain having finally lessened so that it was now no more than a light drizzle.

"Well, well, well," Kairi clucked, "I do have to say it was quite clever of you to attack us in the rain like that. You hid in one of the puddles along the road, right?"

The pair kept silent, merely eying the silver-haired woman darkly.

"But I suppose I should thank you," she continued, disregarding their glowers in favor of observing the startled four behind her. "You did help me discover one little... _interesting_ specification to this mission that had not been clarified earlier..."

Toshirou's eyes widened as her gaze fell on him. "What? But how did you–"

"The first went for me, but he was just meant to keep me busy as the first slipped by," Kairi explained. "A decoy, so clearly they weren't after me. He then ignored my students and went straight for you. From there, it wasn't all too difficult to figure out..."

She carefully observed him. "But what that doesn't explain is _why _they wanted you."

Toshirou swallowed hard under her scrutiny, and her visible eye burned for answers he somehow knew she was going to get whether he complied or not.

Thus, with a heavy sigh, he began his tale.

"My father, he's a bridge builder back in Wave. I was sent here for supplies, but you see, there's a terrible man after him..."

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– This title refers to Nariko's desire for a C-rank, of course. I thought it was cute and fit Nariko well. _**Laughs.**_

– This chapter sat unfinished for the longest time as I struggled to decide whether they should escort Tazuna or Toshirou. I really wanted to switch it up to avoid a word-for-word retelling that many alternate Wave Arcs turn out to be, but I was very uncertain as to whether I should do so or keep Tazuna. However, with the help of my best friend, I chose Toshirou with the reasoning that Tazuna would have gone himself since he had a daughter in the original canon, but with a son, Tazuna would feel more at ease and likely to send said son out to Konoha in his stead.

– As you can tell, I took some liberties with the reason why Tazuna was in Konoha in the first place since it was never stated. Therefore, though I do not know the original reason, Toshirou's purpose for being in Konoha was so that he could attain the supplies he mentioned in his last line.

– The foreshadowed event at the end of Chapter 11 was Toshirou bidding goodbye to Tazuna and his daughter, Isano.

– The battle with the Demon Brothers is, technically, the first real fight in this story. _**Grins. **_What I mean is that up until now they have only really been implied—Izumi vs. Hajime in Chapter 4—or left to the imagination—Sakaye vs. Kairi during the Bell Test. There will, obviously, be more as the story goes on. I just find it to be amusing that the first one isn't until Chapter 12.

– Junko, Chiye, and Noriaki references Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke's Japanese voice actors, and my reference to Hideo and Dan, Itachi and Kisame's Japanese voice actors, is also a reference towards my love for the KisaIta pairing. _**Grins.**_ Have no fear, it does not foreshadow Kisame and Itachi's female counterparts in a romantic relationship. It's just a treat for myself. That being said, the Junko, Chiye, and Noriaki reference could also perhaps be taken as a reference to the popular NaruSasuSaku triangle in fanfiction, which I'm actually not a particular fan of. _**Shrugs.**_ I don't like love triangles. They make me sad.

– Izumi makes her return appearance after 7 chapters. However, it is her only one for several more chapters, excluding a small flashback in Chapter 14. What is interesting about Izumi though is that she made a cameo not only in every chapter of the first arc, but in the first 7 consecutive chapters of this fanfic. Chapter 8 was the first one where she did not appear.

– Despite the large boom in the Kunoichi population, beginning with the Sanin's time, female shinobi are still somewhat regarded to be inferior and weaker than their male counterparts, explaining Nariko and Sakaye's reaction towards Toshirou's questioning of their gender.

– Toshirou has been somewhat of a difficult character for me because, for some reason, whenever he speaks, his words tend to come out more formally than should be reasonable for someone of his background. It may have something to do with his personality and character. Usually, when I have a character of his type, they tend to have a rather proper way of speaking, so I've been having troubles trying to make his speech more informal. I feel that my toughest chapter with this issue is the next one where Toshirou has a bit of a speech, in which he pleads with Team 7 to stay with him until he reaches home. _**Sigh.**_

– Isano joins the group of characters (Seiichi, Ikuo, Okimi, and Asami) who have their name mentioned in a chapter before and separate from the one in which they are first seen. Wow, this is becoming a lot more common than I thought it would...

– This is the second time I've used rain to switch up this story from the original Canon. _**Grins. **_The first time was in Chapter 2, when I used it to clean the paint from Nariko's artwork, so that Nariko ended up cleaning up the classroom as punishment instead of cleaning the paint like Naruto did in the original.


	13. Family

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:** We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 13: _Family_

(Completed: 03-02-10)

x

x

"_Are you insane?_" Seiichi exclaimed. His face seemed unable to choose between growing red with anger or paling from shock, so instead it settled on a ruddy shade of pink. "How could you not tell us something like that? We could have been _killed!"_ He spared Sakaye a quick, fearful glance at that.

Despite his best attempts, the genjutsu from their bell test continued to play over and over again in his mind, regardless of how desperately he wished for it to stop. Just thinking about it made his stomach turn unpleasantly, and the pink tint to his face became lighter as the fury faded and nausea churned his insides.

Toshirou's eyes followed the pink-haired genin's line of sight and the dark-haired male flinched.

"I... know," the older man began, "but like I said–"

"Now, now, there's no need to explain a second time," Kairi sighed, standing before him. "We understand. Your father is a bridge builder, Gatou is after him, and thus, after you as a way to get to him."

Toshirou kept silent, mind struggling with his inner turmoil. This would have been so much easier if the team had been as he had pictured them or if they hadn't been attacked, but now... Now it had become a great deal more complicated.

"You lied to us," Kairi finally said after a few moments. "You told the Mission Council that this was a C-rank, but it has recently proven to, in fact, be at least a _B__-rank_. If you are correct in telling us that Gatou is behind this, then the mission is likely to even increase to _A-rank_."

Seiichi and Nariko jolted, regarding their jounin sensei with shock. Sakaye's eyes widened with that same strange look from earlier, and her nostrils flared, the odd, fevered sort of anticipation bringing her to shift restlessly.

Kairi glanced sharply at the female Uchiha and observed her quietly, but after no more than a second, she returned to Toshirou.

"That being said," the jounin continued, "we should return to the village immediately. I understand you do not have the funds to pay for a B-rank, but you can't lie about the level of distress one will face on a mission. Not only is it dangerous, but my student is correct. Any one of them could have been killed as a result."

The older male's jaw clenched and his eyes turned down with shame. He knew that; he _understood._.. But telling himself otherwise had lessened the guilt and he really did need to be escorted home. If not... his little Isano...

Decision made, Toshirou sighed. "I'm aware of that and I _am _sorry it's come to this, because really I..." He paused for a moment, hesitant to continue. "..._hate _to use such manipulative tactics as my father might if he were placed in this situation, guilting you in to continue with some sob story..." He shook his head in exasperation at the thought and frowned. "It goes against what I believe in to do so, but..." He clenched his fists and pursed his lips.

"...I have a _daughter, _like I mentioned before," he said, glancing at the three genin. "About 3 or 4 years younger than you. My wife is dead, and my father is getting on in his years." He turned his gaze downwards. "Don't get my wrong; I love my father, but I can't completely trust his abilities anymore or trust that he will stick around much longer, especially given the situation with Gatou. I can't guarantee that my father won't be killed or even that I'll survive the rest of the trip alone..." Toshirou swallowed and paused.

"...That said, I also can't guarantee my daughter's well-being if something were to happen to me." He clenched his jaw once more and shut his eyes. "We're the only family she has. She'll have nowhere to go..." Sliding his dark orbs open, he locked his gaze on the silver-haired jounin.

"I only ask that you escort me the rest of the way," he stated firmly. "If it's really necessary, we _will _find a way to pay you the extra funds. Just..." The man finally trailed off.

All that needed to be said had been said. It was simply up to the shinobi before him as to whether he would proceed alone or not.

Thus, he waited.

Silence reigned for a long, long moment as Kairi debated the matter in her mind. Thinking it over, she finally suppressed a sigh and opened her mouth to speak.

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's go!"

The other four whipped their heads toward the grinning blonde.

"Uh, Nariko... You do realize we could have been killed just now, don't you?" Seiichi questioned with a frown.

The whiskered girl shrugged. "So?"

Her male teammate gaped at her in shock. "_**So?**_ Nariko, are you- We could have _died!"_

"We're ninja, aren't we?"

"Well, yeah, but–"

"Then, I don't see the problem," Nariko said with satisfaction.

Seiichi eyed her dubiously. "You know you can't be Hokage if you're dead, right?"

"A true Hokage doesn't abandon someone who needs their help," the girl interjected, crossing her arms stubbornly.

The pinket stared at the blonde, seemingly uncertain how to respond to such a statement.

"Nariko..." Kairi spoke up, rubbing her temples. "It's not that simple. There's still the matter of payment–"

"Who cares if he doesn't have enough money?" the genin insisted. "He asked for our help and we agreed!"

"–and the rank of the mission."

Nariko grinned. "So it's a little tougher than we thought it was. Big deal! We can handle it!"

"You've only been doing D-rank for the past month," the jounin pointed out.

"Your point?"

Kairi began to speak again, but Nariko interrupted her.

"Hey, come on, we have to help him!" the orange-clad genin cried. "Think about what he said! What about his dad and his daughter? That Gatou guy's after them. Are we supposed to just stand by and let him get away with that just because Toshirou here's a little low on change?"

The blonde spread her feet, placing them firmly on the ground, as she curled her hands into fists and stared her team down. "He _needs_ us. We ditch him and he can't pay, then we might as well be giving him the death sentence!" She waved one hand as if to gain their attention, though she already had it. "He dies, then his Dad goes, and that leaves his daughter all alone! Where's she supposed to go, huh? Some beat down orphanage where no one cares? _On the street?_ Why would you condemn her to that?"

The girl's expression tightened and somehow Kairi thought, for a moment, that she wasn't quite talking about Toshirou's daughter, Isano.

However, the short genin shook her head hard before locking eyes again. "We're shinobi, _Konoha _shinobi! We help people when they ask for it. That's the point of the missions: to help people! That's what Konoha's about!" She jerked her head towards her silver-haired sensei. "You said so yourself that someone who abandons others is worse than trash, didn't you?"

The older kunoichi lifted a hand to correct her. "Actually, that's not exactly what I–"

"Right!" Nariko cried, ignoring her teacher as she placed her hands on her hips and scanned the four before her. "So, given all that, who would we be to abandon him?" She held her fists before her, grinning eagerly. "We're Konoha shinobi, so let's start acting like it!"

". . ."

Sakaye rolled her eyes, Seiichi scratched the back of his head awkwardly, and Toshirou simply stared.

'_This __girl...' _Kairi thought resignedly. _'She really is something__...' _With a sigh, the jounin finally nodded and tilted her head. "Well, there's really no point in returning after we've already come this far..."

Toshirou jerked his head towards her in shock, but his eyes were guarded against hoping too early. "So... you're saying..."

The silver-haired jounin nodded once, and Nariko cheered as Sakaye smirked, the strange gleam to her eye returning, and Seiichi merely looked surprised before shrugging and grinning helplessly.

"...Thank you," Toshirou said gratefully.

The blonde, having finished her celebration, whirled around and giggled. "Hey, don't thank us yet! We have to get you home first!"

The dark-haired man smiled at that as they proceeded on their way. Glancing up, the smile grew.

'_Hold on, Isano. Daddy hopes to be home soon...'_

Unbeknownst to them all, a figure watched from the shadows. Having gathered what it came for, it slipped away as quickly and unnoticeably as it had arrived in the first place.

oxoxo

A woman, nearly 6 foot in height, lounged on a beaten couch as three men left the room, the door clicking shut behind them. A scowl hid beneath the bandages concealing her face like a mask as her cold, dark eyes narrowed after the shortest man, displeased by his dismissal of her. Strong shoulders lay bare for the world to see, her torso simply covered by another set of bandages that wrapped around her chest and most of her rib cage. Equally strong arms hid beneath a long pair of camo-type sweatbands that extended from the tops of her biceps to the knuckles of each hand.

Dark, spiky bangs jutted out from her head, as if demanding the world be aware of their presence. The right half unfortunately could not claim the same for a Mist headband, a slash cutting through the wriggly symbols, restrained the unruly locks on that side of her skull. The head protector turned strangely, resting across her temple instead of her forehead as it was designed to do, but it was done so perhaps to counteract the spiky ponytail bound above her left ear—the hair style strangely more suited for a young child or adolescent than a 26 year old criminal.

A lean, toned stomach revealed itself above a pair of dark pants that tucked themselves into her shin high boots. The black shoes showed off her toes as most shinobi footwear was known to do, but that went unnoticed when one observed the large, heavy blade carelessly wedged between her knees and just held off her form.

Her thin, gray fingers tapped the hilt, bringing the sword in a sort of rocking motion that brought the sharp edge just a little too close to her chest and stomach. One false move, one tiny little slip of her knees or hand and she was bound to suffer something significantly worse than a paper cut.

Then again, there was a reason her name had been placed in the Bingo book.

"That's quite dangerous, you know."

The woman halted in the motions and slid her eyes towards the formerly-empty space before her where a lithe form now stood.

"What?" the tall female snorted. "You don't trust my abilities?" Even so, she righted herself and slid the blade into a safer position across her lap as she faced the figure before her.

"Well?" the Ex-Mist nin questioned. "What did you find out?"

"I did as you asked and observed them," the figure replied. "The Demon Brothers failed."

"Figures," the woman scoffed. "They never were that good for all their boasts. Gatou only picked them for their price, no doubt." She glanced at the teen before her. "Is that all?"

"No," responded the figure. "Leading the squad guarding the target is Hatake Kairi."

"..._Really,__" _the dark-haired kunoichi spoke with interest. "Hm..."

"What is the plan then, Master?" the figure inquired.

"Well..." said the woman, leaning back on the couch. "Gatou's definitely not going to be happy once he hears about this." A grin stretched across her features, only noticeable by the shift of her cheeks beneath the bandages and the slight change to her eyes. "It seems as if he's going to have to use us, after all." She stood and stretched, dragging the sword up with her.

"Serves the bastard right, though," the Mist nin growled, cracking her neck. "You never send a man to do a woman's job." Slipping an eye open, she glanced at her companion.

"Isn't that right... Haru?"

What little light that filtered in to the dark room gleamed over the figure's white mask, the red line that wormed across it becoming all the more prominent.

"Yes, Yuzuna-sama."

oxoxo

Shinobi were well known for their use of jutsu. Whether it be fire jutsu, water jutsu, earth jutsu, or even a Kekkei Genkai which combined two of the five elements; it was the use of these that characterized ninja and differentiated them from civilians. Yet, going along that line, there were still so many types of jutsu beyond just their elemental basis, some of which that weren't actually element-based in the first place.

Bunshin, Transformation, Replacement: that was simply naming the three techniques Academy students were required to know in order to graduate and become genin. Beyond even those essential three were several other basic jutsu that had also once been required of up and coming shinobi but that had been removed as the village had shifted into more peaceful times.

They were basic; just simple survival techniques, ones to be used were a ninja to, say, camp out for the night.

Thus came precisely _what _Nariko was pestering her jounin sensei about.

"Hey! Come on, Kairi-sensei, how did you do it? _Tell me_..."

The silver haired kunoichi fought back a groan. This was why she hadn't wanted to take on a genin squad, this was why she hadn't wanted _this_ genin squad, and _this_ was why she had forever sworn off children of her own.

_'How can they not know these jutsu?' _Kairi thought with disbelief, though the expression hid itself well beneath her mask. _'I'd expect Nariko not to know, of course, and I doubt Sakaye would focus on them too greatly given they're not particularly useful in a battle situation—same for Seiichi, come to think of it—but these techniques were _required_ when I was a student.' _She shook her head and finally moaned. _'Don't they teach these kids _anything_ anymore?'_

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Nariko frowned, shaking the jounin's arm. "I'm talking to you! How'd you do it? How'd you dry our wood like that? They never taught us how to do that in the Academy. How does it work? Come on, tell me, _tell me!_"

The older female glanced at her student wearily. _'Maybe if I ignore her, she'll just... give up and go away.'_

"Sen-_sei_..." the blonde whined.

Kairi suppressed a whimper.

The other two members of Squad 7 paid no mind to their leader and teammate. As Seiichi puzzled over the jutsu their teacher had used and Sakaye stared_—_seemingly lost in thought_—_at the flames, Toshirou settled himself on the opposite side of the fire, content to simply bask in the warmth.

Sighing softly, he crossed his arms, only faintly surprised to feel something crumple against his chest. Blinking once, he quickly slipped his hand into the collar of his shirt and removed a small photo from within. In all the commotion of earlier, he had forgotten he had placed it there for safe keeping.

He smiled as he glanced the image over, his eyes softening the longer he stared at it.

"What's that?"

The man jerked towards the blonde genin, who had gone from pestering her jounin sensei to peering over his shoulder, in shock. He stared at her for a long moment and she blinked.

"...Well?"

Toshirou jolted slightly, shaking his head to remove himself from whatever stupor he had been in, and glanced back at the picture before sliding his eyes to Nariko.

"...It's my family," he finally said, returning his gaze to the photo in his hand once more.

Curious, the blonde dropped her cerulean blue orbs to the image as well.

First and foremost in the picture was an elderly man. She could tell as such because of the graying state to his spiky head and the receding hair line she recognized on the Hokage. A small pair of glasses sat on the bridge of his nose over a squinty pair of eyes, shut because of the broad, happy grin on his face. The man obviously did heavy work of some sort on a regular basis, for he had a pair of strong, sturdy arms and looked to be in fairly good shape for his age. His skin was a darker shade than Toshirou, and honestly, had Nariko not known this was Toshirou's father, she would have never guessed they were related.

The blush to the man's cheeks and the bottle he clutched in one hand indicated that perhaps a celebration of some sort was taking place in the tiny little home Nariko could see him situated in through the picture; and the small white bundle in his other arm indicated that perhaps she was correct, for from the folds of the blanket poked a tiny dark head, a mess of hair already adorning it and its face revealing that the infant was asleep. Of course, how the baby managed amongst the fuss_—_the elder man seemed the boisterous type_—_would remain a mystery.

The blonde blinked once. "This is... your family?"

Toshirou nodded. "Mm-hm. The older man is my father, Tazuna, who I've told you about..." His grin softened. "And_ that _is my little girl, Isano. This was taken about a week after she was born: New Year's."

"Do you mind?" Kairi questioned, holding out a hand.

"Oh, not at all," Toshirou smiled, giving the picture to her.

"So, where's her mom?" Nariko asked, regarding their client curiously.

The dark-haired man went silent. After a moment, he sighed softly. "That was also about a week after she died."

Nariko jolted and jerked her head towards the man in shock. Her eyes darted to the photo, now held in the hands of her male teammate, who sat opposite the flames from her.

She knew he had mentioned the death, but... That early?

Her blue orbs saddened and her face fell.

The pinket glanced up at the older man, face sympathetic, as he handed the image to his dark-haired teammate. "I'm... sorry."

The female Uchiha flicked her gaze down to the picture, but her eyes flashed strangely, and she quickly returned it to Toshirou, who gratefully took it.

He nodded once in thanks before slipping the photo back into his collar. "Don't be. It was a long time ago..." He patted the cloth where the picture resided and then dropped his hand, satisfied that it would remain where it was.

"Why such an old photo instead of a more recent one?" Kairi questioned, eying him carefully. "You said your daughter's about seven, eight now?"

"Eight," Toshirou confirmed, smiling wanly, "but that's easy to answer." He braced his elbows on his knees, fingers clasping together.

"As I've already told you, the Land of Waves isn't a very prosperous country, especially so since Gatou arrived," he explained, "so we don't really get to enjoy the luxury of photographs all that often. We have recent photos back in my house in Wave, but they stay at home." His gaze shifted downward and he smiled wryly. "This is, almost literally, the only one I can afford to carry with me." Then, his eyes flitted up once more and his grin became lighter in tone. "But I don't mind. It's still my daughter and the memories linked to that photo aren't entirely bad..."

His expression softened as his gaze drifted to the fire and stayed there.

Kairi hid a smile beneath her mask as she slipped open her novel so that she might finally discover the result of the characters' tangled love lives. "That's as good a reason as any, I suppose..."

Sakaye became deaf to whatever talk continued thereafter. Her eyes instead remained firmly locked on Toshirou, taking in his black eyes, the soft smile, his masculine jaw, that dark hair that spiked slightly in the back...

_Dark hair, messy spikes jutting from behind, slid through her fingers. The soft black locks tickled her palms as tiny hands clutched tight._

_A bemused smile and faint wince responded to the touch as larger hands, the skin only slightly darker than her own, grasped at the tiny digits, removing them gently._

_"Sakaye-chan, please. That hurts, Daddy..."_

She flicked her gaze away, eyes shutting.

_That smile, that smile. He smiled, but it was so sad. So, so very sad. Large hand ruffled her hair, mussing the dark strands, though she couldn't find the will to complain. Those eyes, those eyes..._

Her own clenched tighter.

_"Good girl..."_

And still, the memory remained.

oxoxo

But for the flicker of a few candles and the faint light from a window in the back, the room was dark and dimly lit. Below the window sat a large desk and it was upon this that a set of stubby fingers tapped impatiently.

The short man they belonged to scowled and his eyes narrowed behind his dark sunglasses, a strange article to wear considering the lack of light within the room and lack of sun, but wore them he did and no one could tell him to do otherwise.

Gatou took orders from no one, after all. Why would he need to when he owned one of the most influential companies in the five great nations?

A smirk tugged at his lips at the thought, but on glancing at the door, his scowl returned. He shifted in his seat, though the extravagant plush to the chair indicated that it was indeed quite comfortable, even if it dwarfed its occupant's small stature.

Gatou gritted his teeth, and a vein at his temple bulged as the seconds passed by. Damn that Mist nin. Where was she? He had called her almost ten minutes ago! How dare she and that lackey of hers keep _him_ waiting like some common–

Yuzuna appeared before him, halting his train of thought on its tracks, with her companion not far from her side.

"It's about time," the businessman growled.

He narrowed his eyes at the smugness that flashed in her own dark eyes and exuded silently from her form, but did nothing. He knew of her reputation; it was why he had hired her, after all. While he was terribly arrogant, he was not an idiot, and a coward such as he knew better than to risk his own life in such a manner, body guards or not.

He briefly glanced at the samurai on either side of him before then shooting the teen by Yuzuna a nasty sneer since he couldn't do so to the woman herself. He only became annoyed with the lack of reaction behind the blank, faceless mask the smaller shinobi wore. Unsatisfied, he returned his gaze to Yuzuna and forced a smirk on to his features, attempting to regain control over the situation.

"I called you here–"

"–because the Demon Brothers failed," the masked kunoichi interrupted.

The male clenched his jaw and glared at her.

"...Yes," he replied, clasping his hands together on the desk before him. "And so, because of that–"

"–you're sending us out to do what they couldn't."

Gatou paused, fingers tightening around each other so that his knuckles turned white, his nostrils flaring as he glared at the woman once more.

"...Yes," he forced out between gritted teeth. "Now..." He trailed a moment, as if to see if she would cut him off once more. When she didn't, he continued. "I want you to–"

"–kill the nuisance and his guards–"

"_**Oh, just get out and go!**_" Gatou roared, temper flaring. "_And don't come back until__**–**__!_"

He froze at the touch of her blade against his throat. His men jumped into action, hands set to remove their own swords, at least three seconds too late.

His gaze flicked up to her suddenly cold and unforgiving dark orbs, the air to the room growing icier with each second.

"Don't you _dare _talk to me like that," Yuzuna threatened in a murderous tone. "I could kill you at any moment and neither you nor your little lapdogs over there could do a thing about it." The blade tapped him on the chin, bouncing his head lightly. "_**Got it?**_"

Gatou swallowed hard as sweat poured from his brow, and he nodded quickly.

The masked kunoichi removed her blade and placed it on her shoulder.

"...You're dismissed," the short man said once he had finally regained his voice.

Barely before he had finished his sentence, the two were gone, already leaping through the trees.

Yuzuna landed upon a branch, immediately pushing off again, her guillotine blade bound to her back once more. She flew by Haru and glanced at the teen. "You know what to do?"

"Yes," the ninja answered instantly.

Yuzuna smirked and her eyes darkened dangerously.

"Excellent."

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– Title for the chapter refers, first off, to Toshirou's own family, but also references Sakaye's own, one member of whom we have seen. The other two will also be referenced in this arc because, as I stated in an earlier Fun Facts, this arc will delve more in to Sakaye, seeing as we really haven't seen all that much of her yet. I have purposely avoided going in to her thoughts and have used little of her Point-of-View. In that way, she has been just as unreadable to us as she is to her own team. That changes in this arc. Well, to a certain extent, at least.

– Toshirou is meant to resemble Sakaye's father.

– The hair style of Sakaye's father, in the back, is very similar to Sasuke's. I've always thought that Itachi and Sasuke derived most of their looks from their mother, Mikoto, especially Sasuke, and so it just made sense to me for Masahiro, Sakaye's father, to have a hair style similar to Sasuke's.

– Nariko's speech came out so cheesy to me. It kind of makes me feel embarrassed for her, which is what led me to have the others react to it as they did.

– In contrast to my attempts to make Toshirou's voice less formal, Yuzuna's has been coming out more informal than I intend. Zabuza's way of speaking holds about the same formality as Kakashi's, which is a fairly proper way of speaking, so the same should apply to Yuzuna. Thankfully, the Yuzuna issue is more easily remedied than the Toshirou one, which I find to be rather exasperating. _**Sigh.**_

– For some reason, it is strangely refreshing to write Yuzuna and Haru as opposed to Team 7. I guess I'm glad to be able to write some new characters. I just feel like their parts are more... original somehow. You'll see more how I mean in future chapters.


	14. Panic, Fear, and Too Many Memories

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series  
By: KioKat

**Summary:** We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around? The kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded Kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 14: _Panic, Fear, and Too Many Memories_

(Completed: 03-08-10 )

x

x

The trio of genin stood frozen in place, surrounding their client as the fog thickened and their sensei disappeared within the mist.

How had it come to _this__?_

Things had gone easily enough. After agreeing to escort Toshirou the rest of the way, the four shinobi had traveled until they had come to a large expanse of water. With some persuasion from their dark-haired client, an older fisherman had rowed them across, and except for an awed cry from Nariko on seeing the bridge and an angry shushing from Seiichi, the trip had been silent.

Nearly to Toshirou's home, they had left the boat and set off once more. It had seemed they weren't going to face any more trouble when _she _had arrived.

At 5'11" with strong shoulders and the eyes of a killer, Momochi Yuzuna made for an imposing figure, especially with her giant "guillotine" blade as she called it.

Kairi had instantly called for the three of them to surround Toshirou, but then, Yuzuna had whipped out a strange jutsu that had caused a thick fog to consume the area, which brought them to as they were now...

The trio held their kunai tightly before them, glancing about nervously. The dark, heavy tension to the air strangled their voices and kept even Nariko quiet. But for the nervous swallows and quick breaths, all was silent and the genin strained to hear.

"Wh..." Nariko licked her lips before attempting to speak again, voice smaller than normal. "What's going on out there?"

Seiichi glanced at her, shifting anxiously, as he attempted to scan the grounds around them. Shrugging helplessly, he gave the space before them a worried stare.

While the two extroverted members to the team remained troubled but fairly calm, their naturally quiet teammate was simply a bundle of nerves. Her grip alternately tightened and loosened upon the handle of her kunai as her eyes darted about almost agitatedly. She transferred her weight from foot to foot restlessly as she quietly struggled to take breath.

The intent, the pure... tension within the air seemed to shove itself down her throat and clog her lungs. It constricted her chest like metal bands, tightening with each second. The air, the very air she breathed was too thick, as cloying as those sweets she detested so much. It reminded her far too greatly of that plate of dango set on the table, an excessively generous amount of some syrup or other added to the treats. The sight turned her stomach with disgust as pale fingers grasped the wooden skewers to slip the sweet into the mouth of a face that glanced up from its work to stare at her, smiling too kindly, too gently...

Sakaye choked on the sickly-sweet smell, so strong she felt she could taste it, her stomach rolling violently at the excessive sweetness and that face...

"_Would you like a taste, Sakaye-chan?"_

That _face;_ that lying, lying _face..._

'_Lies, lies, all lies... _You_ remember, don't you?'_

Oh, yes, she remembered well. Far too well. That taste, the awful syrupy taste on her lips and mouth as she gagged, and that smile, that light laughter...

"_Oh dear, I suppose it is a little sweet."_

The heavy taste, slipping down, down, down her throat, sliding, choking, so thick, thick, _thick_, so... so sugary, _too sweet_, nauseating, overpowering as fingers brushed her cheeks and removed the excess from about her mouth, but not from inside where it suffocated, _strangle__d..._

"_Here. Let me help you..."_

Too much... Too much, too much. Her eyes, they blazed and watered, her nose was on fire, and the taste remained, refused to leave her be as it choked, _choked..._

_Giggle. "You're so messy."_

**Choked**_**.**_

"_**Sakaye!**_"

The dark-haired female jolted terribly as she whipped her wild gaze forward, gasping for breath and sweat soaking her body even as the cold mist surrounded them. Her form trembled as her vision shook and blurred.

Wait. Blurred?...

She blinked, her sight strangely clearing with the motion, and inhaled sharply as a strange heat slipped down her cheek to mingle with the burning fire that seemed to have taken hold of her features.

Even through the fog Kairi could sense her student's panic and the shock of the others on discovering it. She wondered at the Uchiha's behavior—memories awakened by the situation at hand perhaps?—and questioned if the girl had even realized that she had flipped her kunai, the point turned dangerously close to the vital vein that ran through her stomach.

"Calm down," the jounin called. "As long as I'm here, all of you will remain unharmed." Smiling though she knew they couldn't see it, she carefully slid up her headband, revealing the scarred left eye she kept hidden beneath, which lay shut for the moment.

"The minute I named you Squad 7, we became comrades, teammates..." She glanced back at where she knew they stood, both eyes falling shut. "...companions."

The three genin and Toshirou clung to her words, unknowing that she had even turned in the first place as she shifted her gaze forward once more.

"I _won't _let you die," she stated adamantly.

However, with a half-teasing glint to her eye, she added lightly, "It would kill my teamwork if I did."

Seiichi released a breathless laugh, fear morphing into disbelief. At a time like this...

Yet, his face grew solemn as he watched Sakaye's tense body slowly relax. The grip on her kunai loosened before tightening with new vigor. The strange, dazed-but-not look to her eyes faded and the dark orbs become firm once more. Her limbs pulled from their tight constraints against her sides and her stance widened into one more appropriate for a defensive maneuver.

Olive green orbs flicked over her face. Her expression had become one he better recognized and the flush to her visage had faded. Even so, that shiny tear stain marred her cheek and his insides roiled uneasily at the sight.

Just what had happened? She had been so... _calm_ when those other two nin had attacked, so what had caused Sakaye to panic now?

Strange; he never thought he'd hear the words _Sakaye _and _panic _in the same sentence, but it was the only one he could think to use that could truly describe what Sakaye had done. She was normally so collected, so absolutely unaffected, yet when he had realized how her kunai had been twisted...

_'Sakaye-chan...' _came Seiichi's single, worried thought.

Nariko furrowed her eyebrows and peered at her rival, blue eyes flecked with concern. Due to her position, she could only view the Uchiha's back, but even she had been able to see the trembling of the dark-haired girl's form and the child-like stance she had taken: knees buckled, shoulders hunched, head dipped, and hands before her—assumably clutched to her chest.

Confusion darkened the pigtailed girl's face and a frown tugged at her lips.

"Sakaye-gaki?" she hissed across at the girl, eyebrows drawn downward.

Seiichi spared the blonde a puzzled, narrow-eyed glance, but the shift of Sakaye's head indicated that she had heard.

"What's up with _you?" _Nariko whispered. "You're not chickening out on us, are you?"

The Uchiha tilted her face to glare at the whiskered girl.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sakaye bit out, turning away to quickly scrub the uncomfortable wetness from her cheek. Sweat, she insisted. Nothing more.

The dark-haired kunoichi then shook her head once and resumed her defensive position. "Now shut up and focus. Don't want you getting killed because you can't pay attention."

The short genin turned red with anger. "You..."

"_Nariko, shut up!_" Seiichi barked suddenly, eyes wide.

Startled by the command, especially the odd desperation to it, Nariko silenced, watching as her crush focused intently on something in the distance.

Shortly after, she discovered what when voices drifted through the air, indicating that Kairi and Yuzuna had been speaking as the trio conversed.

"Well, well, well," Yuzuna said gleefully, bringing to mind a demented glint in the criminal's eye. "Hatake Kairi, the Copy Cat ninja and famed user of the Sharingan. I've certainly been looking forward to this..."

Sakaye whipped her head up in shock. Sharingan? But—No way. That was impossible. Sharingan belonged to the Uchiha, and other than herself and... _her, _there were no others, so how could Kairi possibly...?

The girl's mind raced as Seiichi frowned at the word. Sharingan? That sounded familiar, but...

Nariko simply glanced at the other two in confusion.

"Sharingan?" she echoed, not realizing that she was speaking aloud her teammate's thoughts. "What's that?"

She garnered an annoyed, frustrated glance from her crush in response.

"How should I know?" Seiichi grumbled angrily. He hated not knowing things...

"Kekkei Genkai."

The two snapped their heads toward the Uchiha, who observed the space where the pair of jounin presumably were darkly.

"It's a Kekkei Genkai, a bloodline limit," the girl muttered, narrowing her eyes. "It allows the user to copy any jutsu they see, as well as see through any jutsu and then reflect it back at their opponent."

Seiichi's frown deepened and his frustration grew. He was certain he knew this. It sounded so familiar, but he just couldn't...

"It's characteristic of the Uchiha clan."

His eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened.

Oh. That was it.

Nariko blinked, only becoming more confused. "Eh? Sensei's an Uchiha? But her name–"

"No," Seiichi said slowly as it dawned on him. "She's not... That's what makes this weird."

The three glanced at each other.

Their sensei had the Sharingan, but she wasn't an Uchiha...

Exactly how many secrets did the jounin have?

oxoxo

Had circumstances been different and had Kairi known her students' question, she might have grinned with that odd gleam to her eye and responded in some way that answered their question but didn't really, as she had found this increasingly amusing to do the more she came to know them.

But they weren't and she didn't, so Kairi ignored the hissed and muttered conversation of her students. When facing an opponent like Momochi Yuzuna, one needed all their concentration, so all her concentration she would give.

She glanced about, her Sharingan eye now activated and whirring as she observed her surroundings. A sense of satisfaction consumed her on locking with her target. Yuzuna sat on a tree branch about 6 meters to her right, thinking that the mist could hide her.

Well, perhaps it could, but her chakra it could not. In fact, the color contrasted quite nicely with the the dense fog, making her form all the more visible. Even so, Kairi attempted not to shift too greatly in that direction. A master in the art of silent killing, Yuzuna could discern an opponent's position and movement simply by the near-silent shift of their feet. If the rogue nin felt at all that Kairi knew of her location, then she was likely to turn the battle towards a swift and ugly note.

"What's the matter?" the Ex-Mist nin called out, the grin obvious in her voice. "Can't _see _me?" Yuzuna cackled, not waiting for a response.

The jounin nearly smiled at the irony, but restrained herself for fear of the other growing suspicious and learning of her advantage. That wasn't to say that the bandaged kunoichi could possibly hear someone's lips quirk upward, but depending on how greatly trained Yuzuna's ears were, it _was_ possible she could hear the stretching of cloth if Kairi grinned beneath her mask. Given the woman's skill and record, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch if she could. Thus, Kairi dared not risk it.

_'Shinobi Rule #32: Better careful than dead.'_

Kairi suppressed another smile.

"What? Are you just going to stand there?" Yuzuna sneered. "Don't tell me you're going to give up so soon..." A maniacal grin suddenly consumed her features and her voice turned dark. "I haven't even gone over my murderer's to-do list yet."

"M-murderer's to-do list?" Nariko gulped, glancing about nervously.

"Oh, yes..." the enemy hissed excitedly. "Did you know I can drill through 8 different parts of your body to kill you?"

As the opposing kunoichi recited her list, ("Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver!") Kairi glanced back at where her students' chakra glowed, unable to separate one from the other. In fact, the colors blurred somewhat...

The jounin narrowed her eyes, knowing that it was not simply the distance and mist that made it so, though they helped matters little. She was also well-aware that her Sharingan could never truly be on par with one naturally acquired or with one attained by someone of Uchiha birth. There were certain limitations to what could be done with hers, and she knew the chances of hers progressing any further were unlikely, if not impossible.

However, now was not the time for such thoughts. She had an enemy to take care of and four people to protect.

One such person trembled where she stood, blue eyes darting around as the Mist nin finished her list and cackled.

"Which one would you like me to start with?" Yuzuna's voice rang out with a snigger.

Nariko shivered, clutching her kunai so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Sweat dripped from her forehead and cheeks, and her breath quickened. Had the blonde been in a better state of mind, she might have thought it ironic how similarly she mirrored her rival's former state of only ten or so minutes ago, but she was not, and so it didn't register that she was also beginning to fall victim to fear.

A pair of mismatched black and red orbs shot back towards the whiskered girl, who was quickly descending into a panic as the female Uchiha had not too long ago. Kairi's lips pulled tight, thoughts of Yuzuna hearing the action fleeing from her mind, as she called out to her students once more, though a little more frustrated that before.

"Calm down!" she shouted. "I've said it once and I'll say it again: I won't let you–"

"_**Don't bet on it**_**.**"

The three genin froze as the voice resounded just behind their backs, and Toshirou gaped at the crouched kunoichi.

_'When did she–?'_

The blade swung, but Kairi abruptly appeared, stabbing the jounin in the back as the other four dropped to the ground. Yuzuna burst into a puddle of water as the silver-haired nin spun around and ducked, the large blade barely grazing the tips of her hair. Kairi whipped out a foot to remove her opponent's feet from under her, but Yuzuna simply leapt into the air so that the leg swept beneath her harmlessly. Kairi quickly braced her palms on the damp soil and brought her feet up to clip the other's jaw. The Mist nin then heaved the heavy blade before her to block the kicks and Kairi twisted, pushing off from her hands to return to her feet again while Yuzuna charged after her, continually swinging her blade.

The two jounin fought fast and furiously, the Konoha kunoichi dodging the enemy's large sword as Yuzuna fought for an opening. The criminal was fast, but Kairi was faster. The dark-haired kunoichi cut through the Copy Cat nin, only for her to disperse in a splash of water, the droplets spraying upon the Ex-nin's back as she spun around to block a kunai meant for her spine.

Their small audience watched with amazement as the pair moved far too quickly for them to catch any more than the sound of their battle and the sparks of light where Yuzuna's blade clashed with a well-placed block of Kairi's kunai.

_'So this... is what a jounin battle looks like,' _Sakaye thought. A shiver coursed through her body, but the look in her eye indicated that it was not from fear.

Seiichi gaped, too thunderstruck to be frightened. _'So... So fast!'_

Toshirou merely gave up attempting to observe the battle, simply waiting and hoping that Kairi would win.

And Nariko, normally the most confident, excited, and loudest of the trio, was none of the above. Instead, she trembled where she sat, in the same place where she had landed when they had leapt for the ground. The blonde attempted to control her tremors, but they continued and her eyes welled up.

What was wrong with her? She had never in her life felt this way before. She had experienced it briefly when the earlier two nin had attacked, but that had been over quickly and it had been done with. This, however...

She had been so close to dying. She had felt the wind as Yuzuna had swung her blade, had actually felt the breeze as it just _barely _missed the top of her head. She was certain if she bothered to check that she'd find a few strands of blonde hair on the ground where the enemy jounin had sliced through the very tips of her pigtails, but she didn't for fear that the sight would finally cause her to break down.

She inhaled sharply and her breath came out raggedly when she exhaled again. Then, she shut her eyes tight, trying to force back the burning within them.

Damn it... Damn it, _damn_ _it!_ What was _wrong_ with her? Why was she so...

_...__**Scared? **_

Kairi briefly glanced back at her students, sensing the blonde's distress.

Yuzuna took the chance to sink her blade into the ground and, grasping the handle tightly, swung her body around it, legs whipping out for a hard kick.

Kairi spun back just in time for her to cross her arms before her, as the Ex-nin's feet caught her fully and sent her flying. The silver-haired jounin pulled into herself and rolled on the ground, springing up instantly, but Yuzuna was there with another swing of her sword. Not expecting the attack, Kairi stumbled back into a puddle, water sloshing around her ankles. With a swift recovery, she pulled out a kunai and shot it at the jounin, hoping to gain some precious time while the other blocked.

But she did not block as Kairi had desired. Instead, Yuzuna dodged the projectile, swapping her sword to her other hand as she snapped out her arm.

It was then, and only then, that Kairi realized the thickness of the water in which she stood.

"_Suirou no jutsu_!" Yuzuna cried. "Water Prison!"

The puddle shot up from the ground and encased the Konoha jounin. Instantly, Kairi struggled, attempting to jerk about and push at the edges, but her arms wouldn't move more than a centimeter or two, if even that, against the unnaturally heavy liquid constricting her form.

Knowing to attempt movement any further would be useless, Kairi halted and allowed her mind free reign, thoughts flying through her head.

She recognized the jutsu, a C-rank meant for close range, and understood how it worked. In fact, she had used it herself once or twice. Given that, she also knew how to break it.

The jutsu required bodily contact at all time. As useful as the technique was for imprisoning and containing someone, it was only that contact that could keep it functioning. The only way to eradicate the jutsu was to break the contact the user had on the sphere of water. The person on the inside would be unable to accomplish such a feat as the jutsu completely restricted their movement, and thus, prohibited them from freeing themselves. Unless, of course, the person were able to execute a strong enough earth jutsu to counter the water element, given that they were also able to use jutsu without hand signs—which was, as far as she knew, impossible—or the prisoner was of the Hyuuga clan and were to use that famous Kaiten of theirs, releasing chakra from any point on their body in order to burst the liquid bubble.

Unfortunately, Kairi was neither, so she required a second shinobi to force the user, Yuzuna, to break contact with the sphere of water in which the silver-haired jounin was encased. Said shinobi would have to come up with some sort of plan that could distract the enemy kunoichi long enough to bring her to incidentally break the contact on her own, or perhaps attack her or drive her into a corner in such a way that she was forced to relinquish her contact.

It was in glancing over the four before her—the shocked Sakaye, the pale Seiichi, the horrified Toshirou, and the trembling Nariko—that Kairi finally came to a terrifying revelation.

She was screwed.

oxoxo

The blonde stared at their jounin, wide-eyed and shocked, as her body's shaking increased in strength.

No way. This... This couldn't be happening! There was no way this enemy nin could capture Kairi of all people!

Nariko tried to connect the image of the powerful, albeit laid-back kunoichi she had come to know over the past month with the captured, helpless ninja before her. The sight absolutely terrified her, and the look on Yuzuna's face as she eyed the four of them... it turned her blood cold in ways she couldn't have possibly even begun to describe. The girl's body shook so hard her vision quivered, and the tremors forced the hot wetness in her eyes to finally spill over and down her cheeks.

The dark, suffocating intent to the air increased as Yuzuna grinned beneath her mask, amused by the blonde's fear. She chuckled menacingly. This might be more fun than she thought.

The enemy nin quickly formed a seal and a water clone formed beside her, making the whiskered girl's eyes round further and her fingers dig into the ground.

Kairi gritted her teeth. It was obvious enough that neither of the three could handle the jounin, even without the absolute terror reflected in their eyes or the shivers that continued to overtake Nariko's body.

Decision made, she jerked her head slightly and shouted to the three. "Run!"

Their heads snapped towards her.

"You can't fight her!" Kairi exclaimed, bubbles flying from her mouth. "Take the client and run!" Her eyes flashed with a sense of worry when they didn't move, so she decided to push harder. "She's a jounin, a seasoned jounin, even more powerful than me! She's a criminal and a murderer; she'll kill you in an instant!" Her eyes darkened. "The mission comes first, and that means protecting Toshirou at all costs! Her bunshin has a range! If it goes too far, it disperses! If you leave now, you might stand a chance, so go!"

They didn't move.

"_**Now!**_"

The terrified Nariko didn't have to be told again.

'_I-I can't take her!' _the blonde thought, scrambling to her feet. _'She'll kill us for sure! I–We have to–!'_

In her rush, she slipped on the damp ground. The blonde cried out as she hit the dirt, limbs shaking as she did, and the girl simply lay there on her stomach, fighting back tears.

"_Any one of them could have been killed as a result."_

"_We could have _died!_"_

"_You know you can't be Hokage if you're dead, right?"_

_"Did you know I can drill through 8 different parts of your body to kill you?"_

"Are you insane!_" _

"_We could have been _killed!_"_

"_Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver!"_

"_I _won't _let you die."_

"**Don't bet on it.**_"_

A sob tore itself from her throat and the tears spilled over.

'_I... I can't do it,' _she whimpered. _'She's going to kill me. I'm going to die. We're _all_ going to die...'_

Her body tensed as footsteps neared. Whipping her head around, she jerked herself up in fear.

_**SLAP!**_

All went silent as the sound echoed throughout the clearing, Nariko's head snapping to the side as Sakaye glared harshly at her, slowly lowering her hand. A dark mark slowly developed on the smaller genin's whiskered cheek, the skin stinging, though the sensation seemed dulled against the sudden numbness her thoughts had taken.

She watched dumbly as her headband clattered to the ground, the force of the strike having sent it flying from her forehead. She stared at it, unseeing but not, as one memory stirred and emerged from the depths of her mind.

"_Can I see yet?"_

_Light laughter filled her ears and she scowled at the sound, impatiently awaiting her confirmation._

"_Not yet," the voice murmured as an odd sound, like the rustling of cloth, filled her ears._

_The blonde frowned, puzzled by the noise and the sudden pressure on her head as her teacher's hands brushed past her ears. Her confusion grew further when she felt the woman's fingers fiddling __with something on the back of her skull, and a jerk that caused a tightening around her temples and forehead._

_Finally, the appendages left her and the girl's eyes darted beneath their lids._

"_Alright," the woman finally said. "Open."_

_The eyes slid open, revealing a pair of puzzled cerulean blue orbs. Her hands instantly went to her forehead and the crease in her brow increased at the sensation of metal and cloth. The digits brushed across it as she observed her teacher, noting that something seemed off about the chunin._

_Then, she came across the indention in the middle of her new accessory._

_All movement halted and she gaped at the woman, eyes darting to the brunette's forehead as she realized that she was lacking something _very_ important..._

_Izumi beamed at the girl. "Congratulations, graduate. You've just made genin."_

_Nariko was so stunned for a moment she almost couldn't remember to be happy or breathe. Izumi seemed to understand, for she simply smiled warmly at her student as she waited for the shock to diminish enough for the joy to win out. _

_Just a few more seconds and tears filled Nariko's vision yet another time that day. She quickly pounced on the older kunoichi, arms wrapping tightly around her and lips pulled far on her cheeks, as she grinned wider than she ever had before._

_Izumi winced as the motion aggravated her wounds, but said nothing. She understood what the blonde wanted to say, knowing the only reason she didn't do so was the fear that opening her mouth would release the delighted sobs and not the grateful words she wanted. The brunette's smile softened as she wrapped her arms around the overenthusiastic blonde she had grown to care so deeply for._

_Even with Nariko's insistence that she wouldn't cry any further, her teacher's next words broke that resolve and the dam released._

"_I'm so proud of you," the woman whispered._

"_...__**You'll make a**_ **wonderful**_** kunoichi**__..."_

Back in the present, Nariko mentally looked herself over and almost laughed.

She was being so... pathetic, so stupid. Hadn't she been the one claiming earlier that they should continue onward, threat of death or not? She had been the one saying it was their duty to not abandon people, and look at her! What was she doing?

She glanced back at their sensei, who sat in the liquid sphere, observing the four of them carefully.

"_A true Hokage doesn't abandon someone who needs their help."_

Her eyes drifted back to Toshirou and Seiichi, who stood a little distance before her, eyes wide.

"_We're shinobi, _Konoha _shinobi! We help people when they ask for it. That's the point of the missions: to help people! That's what Konoha's about!"_

Finally, her gaze fell on Sakaye, who sat crouched before her, slanted eyes dark but firm.

"_We're Konoha shinobi, so let's start acting like it!"_

The blonde stared at her rival a moment longer, before slowly reaching for her headband. She picked it up and gripped it tightly in her palm, before then returning her gaze to the other girl, her opposite in every way. A few seconds passed as they watched each other mutely.

Finally, Nariko grinned.

That seemed to be the reaction Sakaye had been waiting for, for she smirked in response and her stance relaxed slightly. She stood, as Nariko wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her jacket, and held out her hand to the blonde.

The whiskered girl accepted the gesture and allowed the Uchiha to pull her up. Eyes shining, the orange-clad genin smiled.

"...Thanks," she whispered softly.

The dark-haired female simply tilted her head slightly in response. "Hn."

Nariko grinned once more, swiftly tying her shinobi headband to her forehead where it belonged. She then turned to her teammates, blue orbs sparkling.

"I've got a plan."

Sakaye smirked again and Seiichi, after a moment of surprise, slowly smiled.

The three spared a glance at Toshirou, silently asking his permission for what they had to do. He hesitated, his dark eyes darting between them. Images of his daughter cluttered his brain, but at last, he sighed and nodded.

"If you must..."

Nariko's cheeks pulled tighter and her eyes squeezed shut briefly, before she returned once more to her squadmates.

"Alright, so here's what we're gonna do..."

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– The title refers to both Sakaye and Nariko's moments of panic and fear, as well as the fear most everyone feels in this chapter. The memories, of course, refer to Sakaye's remembrance of her sister, but it could also refer to Nariko's memory regarding her graduation as a Genin and the snippets of remembered words as she is panicking. However, I had mostly had Sakaye's memory in mind when choosing that part of the title.

– The "Murderer's to-do list" was inspired by _Naruto: Innocent Heart, Demonic Blood, _which is a written version of the Naruto series all the way up to the Wave Arc. It called Zabuza's listing of the places to kill somebody a "Murderer's to-do list" and I liked the idea so much I chose to use it here.

– I was amazed to realize how quickly the Kakashi vs. Zabuza battle went when you pulled out all the extras dealing with everyone's thoughts and all that, which slowed the fight down. In the Shippuden anime, Naruto has a flashback to that battle and it was a great deal quicker than the original because they cut out the extras I mentioned. Thus why Kairi and Yuzuna's clash with one another is so fast.

– I almost ended this chapter with Kairi's revelation of "She was screwed," but decided that I didn't want the next chapter to begin with Nariko still in the state she was because I felt it would have had less effect than if I continued with and resolved her terror in the same chapter. Thus, I chose to lengthen it.

– Chapter 11, the chapter in which Nariko meets Kokoro, was written after this chapter, so this chapter used to be Chapter 13.

– So far we have had mention of two members of Sakaye's family: her father and her sister. However, the last will not be mentioned until Chapter 16, breaking the consecutive Sakaye-Memory streak.

– Because Nariko's hand had not been injured in the Demon Brothers battle like Naruto's, I couldn't use the pain of that to jolt Nariko from her terrified stupor. Thus, I used Sakaye as the wake-up call with a firm slap to the face. _**Grins.**_ I have a feeling that Sakaye has been wanting to do that for quite some time. _**Laughs.**_ I'm kidding—or am I? Anyway, I'm pleased with this change from the original Canon, however minor it may be.

– There seems to be a common assumption in the Naruto fandom that Itachi likes dango—Or it may just be the KisaIta one. I'm not actually sure. Anyway, it does not state in the Data Book that dango is his favorite food as is implied—Strangely, cabbage is listed for that. However, as I recall, it did state that Itachi's hobby is visiting old-fashioned Sweet Shops, which may be where the idea stemmed from. All the same, I have always liked the idea of Itachi having a sweet tooth, which explains the too-sweet plate of dango on that table.

– Memories can be very powerful things.


	15. Home, Sweet Home?

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series

By: KioKat

**Summary****: **We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around – the kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 15: _Home, Sweet Home?_

(Completed: 08-05-10)

x

x

Yuzuna eyed the three children before her with amusement as they whispered quietly to themselves. The blonde appeared to be doing most of the talking, for the other two would only nod and speak every once in a while, seemingly to question some part of the little "plan" they were cooking up. The enemy kunoichi almost laughed at the solemn expressions on each of their features.

'_Look at them,'_ she thought mockingly in her mind_, 'playing as if they're real ninja…'_

Not one to keep a perfectly good taunt to herself, Yuzuna spoke up, grinning with a dark sense of glee beneath her mask.

"Aw, how _cute…_" the dark-haired jounin sneered. "The little Konoha brats think they're really shinobi." Her grin widened. "What a joke. How long ago did you become leaf nin anyway—a week?" She cackled loudly at that.

However, not one member of the trio responded to the jab, much to her displeasure. In fact, they didn't even look up from their conversation to acknowledge she had spoken. It was with narrowed eyes and an irritation that burned within her that Yuzuna realized the genin were ignoring her.

That was definitely not a sensation the female criminal was used to. Momochi Yuzuna simply did not go ignored. Civilians cowered in her presence, and even the most seasoned of jounin kept on their guard when in a battle with her. She was a feared criminal, and her appearance at least managed to capture the attention of those who did not recognize her for the missing nin and member of the Bingo book that she was.

Yet, even with all that, these three newbie ninja were paying no mind to her whatsoever—even knowing how dangerous she was, even knowing she had managed to take their sensei, _the_ Copy Cat Kairi, captive. These three Academy _babies_ were snubbing _her: _Momochi Yuzuna, infamous silent killer and rogue kunoichi of the Mist!

The thought absolutely infuriated her, and the Ex-Mist nin ground her teeth, eyes narrowing with displeasure. _'Little bastards…'_

As she opened her mouth to give the nuisances a piece of her mind, courtesy her sharp tongue, they finally returned their gaze to her, determined and apparently with some sort of plan of action.

The enemy nin grinned now that she had become the center of their attention once more. "Eh, what's this? A bunch of little kiddies like you think you're going to fight me?" The very idea amused her greatly, so much so that she tilted her head back and sniggered. "Don't make me laugh! What's a bunch of brats like you going to do? Drool on me? Need a _diaper_ _change?"_ She giggled hysterically, seeming to find her own joke extremely funny. Her face tilted toward the sky and her eyes shut as she laughed harder.

"_Now__!"_ Nariko cried to Sakaye.

Yuzuna's chuckles abruptly stopped as the Uchiha whipped out a slew of shuriken, but a smirk consumed the jounin's features as they slammed into her unsuspecting clone. The original kunoichi easily avoided a few of the stray weapons as they slipped past, and she cackled yet again that day. "What? That's it? You went after my _clone?" _The enemy kunoichi laughed even harder. "You _amateurs! _You don't think I can make _more?"_ She even went to do so, moving her hand to make the proper seal.

_**Poof**__**! **__**Poof**__**! **__**Poof**__**! **__**Poof**__**! **__**Poof**__**! **__**Poof**__**!**_

She froze as several Narikos appeared from behind, in place of the shuriken she had dodged only moments before.

"Hey, we're not that dumb!" the crowd cried as they descended upon the bandaged woman.

Unable to do more than whip her head around in shock, Yuzuna grunted as the five blonde genin collided with her back. However, she did not fall to the ground or release her grip on the orb containing their teacher as they had intended. Instead, she turned her head and snarled at them, using her free hand to fling them from her form and force them to disperse in clouds of smoke.

She then returned to the other two genin before her with a nasty grin, realizing too late that there had been a sixth girl. She only discovered that fact when a foot slammed into her shoulder, startling her and forcing her to unintentionally snap her hand away and jerk it from the liquid orb. The water prison instantly dispersed, and Yuzuna leapt back to escape the now-free jounin.

The criminal gritted her teeth angrily as she landed, her shoulder throbbing, and she felt suddenly grateful that she had chosen to learn how to wield her sword with both hands and not simply one. Even so, she clenched her jaw, grinding the bones together, as she curled her fingers in the damp earth and cursed the grinning blonde and her smug little friends.

Kairi straightened from her crouch and briefly stretched her muscles, which had begun to groan about remaining in one set position for the period of time she had been captive. She frowned at the ache; had she really allowed her body to fall into such a state after taking a genin team?

However, she shook the thought from her mind and glanced at said team, surprised by how quickly they had managed to liberate her from the uncomfortable confines of the water prison she had been encased and trapped in. She really hadn't thought they'd had it in them to create and initiate such a course of action given how they had reacted to her capture—Nariko especially…

The Konoha jounin shook her head in disbelief. That unpredictable little blonde had surprised her most. Nothing in the girl's Academy record, or her behavior during the past month, had led Kairi to believe in any way that she was capable of thinking up or following through with a plan. The whiskered preteen was loud, brash, and impulsive; nothing that would give someone the impression that she could be a tactician of all people. Of her three students, she would have thought either Seiichi or Sakaye to be the one to take up that role. Nariko would have undoubtedly been the distraction, not Sakaye. Seiichi she could somewhat understand as being the defense while the other two took care of Yuzuna, but still…

Speaking of Yuzuna though, the bandaged woman finally stood once more and glared darkly at the three genin, before turning the expression on Kairi. The criminal then released a disgruntled and enraged "tch" before leaping onto the expanse of water behind her, hands moving together.

The silver-haired jounin immediately followed, fingers flying, as her sharingan observed the shinobi signs Yuzuna flew through. A plan began to form within the Konoha kunoichi's mind at the wild anger that seemed to be already overtaking the dark-haired criminal's features.

'_Someone__'__s __reaching __the __end __of __her __rope__~!'_ Kairi thought in an almost sing-song voice

to herself, smiling beneath her mask, before finally initiating her plan.

It took two seconds for both kunoichi to complete the technique at the same moment, another ten for Yuzuna to begin her furious panic, thirty seconds total for Kairi to corner her, .2 for a pair of needles to pierce Yuzuna's throat and bring her to a clean but violent end, about a minute for them to converse with the strange Hunter nin that disappeared with the criminal's body, a second for odd suspicions to stir within Team 7's masked sensei, and three small steps for said sensei to finally collapse.

'_Overused __my __sharingan__…' _Kairi thought sleepily as the voices around her faded, and then, she fell into unconsciousness.

oxoxo

Tazuna had not expected much to come of that day. Certainly he hoped it would be the one where his son returned safe and unharmed, but he didn't necessarily expect it. Even if Gatou and his goons were skulking about, the bridge builder didn't think anything particularly special would happen. The town had become so terrified of the businessman that there was no need for an example to be made like the exhibition one year ago; the thought made him shudder and he had to grind his teeth together to keep from saying something he knew would frighten his granddaughter had she been close enough to hear.

Tazuna had expected nothing of that day. Thus, it came as a surprise when he answered the door to find three foreign-looking children and his son carrying an equally exotic-looking woman on his back.

The elderly man blinked at the strange sight, his gaze slowly shifting to the bottle in his hand; the very one, in fact, that he had been downing mere moments before as if it held the very elixir of life within it. Glancing at the scene before him once more, he shook his head and rubbed his eyes wearily as he walked back into the house. "I think I need to lay off a bit…" he grumbled as he made his way down the hall.

Toshirou couldn't help but smile at his father's words. "They are an interesting bunch, aren't they?" he said lightly as he stepped inside, following his father and leading the three genin behind him.

"Interesting is an understatement," Tazuna grunted, glancing Seiichi over and peering skeptically at his hair.

The male genin frowned and subconsciously straightened his shoulders and lightly shifted his chest forward, altering his posture as he walked into a slightly more masculine one.

The elder shook his head again and halted at a shoji door somewhere down the hall of the small house. He stood beside it as Toshirou maneuvered his hand out from under the jounin's knee to slide the door open, quickly replacing the appendage as he felt the woman begin to slip down his back. The three genin trailed after, as he made his way inside and placed the unconscious Kairi on a messy futon near the back of the room.

"I've been meaning to put this up," the dark-haired man spoke aloud, referring to the futon. "It's clean, but I suppose it's a good thing I didn't." He grinned wryly. "Saves me the trouble of having to set it up again for your teacher."

"Will she be okay?" Nariko finally blurted as she looked up at Toshirou, blue eyes shining with concern.

The other two watched him as well: one with worry reflecting in his eyes and the other with a blank, but intense stare.

Their client smiled reassuringly at them, the expression coming easily after having used it so many times with his daughter. "I'm sure she'll be fine. It looks like she's just suffering from fatigue, probably from having to battle that woman earlier. Just give her some rest and I bet she'll be awake in no time."

Nariko bit her lip and Seiichi looked uncertain, but the three genin seemed to accept his words.

Toshirou then stood and left the room, his father following behind as he made his way to the kitchen.

"What happened to her?" Tazuna questioned, jerking his head back in the direction from whence they had come and taking another swig from the bottle in his palm.

The younger male paused for a moment in his perusal of the tiny refrigerator, where he had been searching for something his young escorts might be able to eat, and simply stood there for a long moment in silence.

"…We were attacked, Dad," he finally sighed.

The elderly man stiffened, his eyes instantly snapping towards his son as he stared quietly at him.

"…by bandits?" the bridge builder questioned almost hopefully.

But Toshirou shook his head. "No, Dad. Shinobi." He locked gazes with his father solemnly. "They know."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

Tazuna frowned. "When?"

"A few days in," Toshirou sighed again, reaching for a container and opening it to observe its contents. He wrinkled his nose at the foul smell that pervaded his nostrils, and with a groan, he reluctantly tossed it in the trash, eying their small store of food helplessly.

Tazuna's eyebrows rose at his son's answer. "A few days? Then… they still went with you?"

Toshirou nodded, eyes lighting up as he recalled the supplies stored away in his pack. He slipped out the packages from within and carefully looked each one over, before making himself busy with stocking their shelves. However, a frown toyed with his lips as his gaze flicked back to the refrigerator.

"I was surprised too, especially considering I'd lied to not only them, but their missions board as well," Toshirou continued with a wince. "I'm afraid I pulled something you might have done when telling them _why _they should continue with me–" He grimaced at the memory. "–but even then, their teacher—the silver-haired woman," Toshirou explained, "I'm pretty sure was considering turning back to Konoha anyway." The spiky-haired man sighed and rubbed his forehead. "It was only because of Nariko that they agreed to continue, I think."

"Nariko?" Tazuna questioned.

"The blonde," Toshirou clarified, a grateful smile tugging at his lips. "She defended my case, took my side, made this whole little speech about why they should continue, questioning their honor as shinobi and everything if they chose to turn back." He shook his head and grinned. "She's an interesting girl. I'm glad she was there."

The gray-haired man frowned. "That little girl? _She_ did all that?" A dubious expression manifested upon his features as he swallowed another mouthful of alcohol from his bottle.

The dark-haired male glanced at his father from where he had been placing the last of their new supplies on the shelf. "They really were quite incredible, Dad. All three of them, even for being so young…" His expression suddenly tightened, but he shook himself and turned back to the aging man. "By the way, where's Isano? I haven't seen her yet."

Tazuna jerked his head back towards the hallway. "In her room, where she always seems to hide away nowadays." He sighed and tilted his head back for another swig, only to be disappointed when nothing emerged. Lowering the bottle, he frowned and peered inside, as if he might have missed some.

Toshirou frowned at the action, but said nothing about it. "Has she been there the entire time?" he questioned with concern, eyebrows knitting together.

"Yeah, pretty much," Tazuna replied, releasing his breath in an annoyed huff, as he dropped the bottle on the counter, where it wobbled for a moment before settling.

Toshirou pursed his lips at that and sighed through his nose, placing a hand over her eyes.

"…How long are you going to let her do that, Toshirou?" the elder questioned quietly.

"As long as she needs," the younger instantly responded.

Tazuna frowned. "It's been a year, Toshirou. Don't you think–"

The dark-haired male cut him off with a sharp look and a scowl. "Now is not the time for a lecture, Dad. She is _my _daughter; I will decide what's best for her." Removing the new bag of rice from the cupboard where he had just placed it, Toshirou set to work cooking it before rummaging in the fridge for something to go with it.

The aging man sighed, walking to the cabinet to sneak another bottle. "Check the bottom shelf. Koharu-san brought something over yesterday."

Toshirou reached down and pulled the suggested container from the shelf, but did nothing else to acknowledge his father's words.

Tazuna simply sighed once more and left the room.

oxoxo

"What do you think she looks like?"

Seiichi blinked and lifted his gaze from where he had been tapping his fingers listlessly on his knee, the other hand cupping his cheek, to his blonde-haired teammate.

"...What?" he questioned, giving her an odd look.

Nariko motioned to the sleeping woman before them. "You know, sensei. I've never seen her without her mask, so what do you think she looks like?"

The pinket narrowed his eyes at her, seemingly annoyed, but already the gears in his mind were whirring, and his curiosity grew as the green orbs flicked towards their sleeping sensei. Come to think of it, he had never seen sensei without her mask either—Did she ever take it off?—so he wondered...

"I think we should take a peek," the girl whispered, though it seemed a bit too loud to be dubbed as such, and she glanced at the woman as if she could hear.

Seiichi eyed his teammate and said slowly, "You... want us to slip off her mask... while she's unconscious?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. I mean, who's to say we'll ever get another chance, and I _really_ wanna know what's under there..."

The boy frowned and crossed his arms. "I don't know... What if she wakes up?"

"She's completely out of it!" Nariko claimed, poking their sensei to prove it.

The silver-haired woman remained motionless, and the pinket's frown deepened, him seemingly torn between the fear of being caught and the desire to remove at least one mystery from the older kunoichi.

"...Fine," he finally said, "but you're doing it."

"_Eh?_" the blonde cried. "Why _me?"_

"It was _your_ idea," the boy retorted, eyebrows drawn down with irritation.

"Well, yeah..."

Sakaye rolled her eyes at the two's conversation. "Idiots..."

Nariko flushed and scowled. "Oh, shut up, Sakaye-gaki! You know you're curious too!"

The Uchiha snorted, but didn't respond.

The room went silent for a moment.

"...You do it," Nariko said with a swallow, glancing at Seiichi.

"What? No!" the male genin cried, glaring at her, though he seemed nervous. "You do it!"

"Y-You're the guy here! Don't you want to be all chivalrous and stuff?"

"For you?... No. Besides, it's because I'm a guy that I'd probably get in more trouble. What if she thinks I'm being... perverted or something!"

"She's not going to wake up! So, you know, if you just slip it down a little..."

"If it's so easy, do it yourself, because I'm not!"

"But Seiichi-kun–!"

The two halted in their argument as Toshirou knocked on the doorjamb, expression faintly amused. "I hate to interrupt, but if you three are hungry, I've made dinner..."

Nariko immediately perked up and leapt to her feet. "Did you say dinner? Great, I'm starved!" On cue, her stomach released a loud growl. The blonde giggled and sped her way out of the room, having completely forgotten her wish to see beneath Kairi's mask.

Seiichi rolled his eyes at his teammate's actions, and both he and Sakaye stood to follow after their overenthusiastic teammate.

"I swear," the pink-haired boy grumbled, "her brain's connected to her stomach." He made a face and headed towards the kitchen with the dark-haired Uchiha not far behind.

Toshirou grinned at his young guests' behavior as he walked after them.

oxoxo

It was after everyone had seated themselves at the table and that dinner had been served that Squad 7 finally met Toshirou's daughter.

She was a slender girl, obviously the age of 8 that her father had claimed her to be if the softened cheeks and small stature were any indication. She seemed to have derived her dark hair and eyes straight from her father, though her skin was lighter than his own and left the impression that she must have inherited that much from her deceased mother.

Yet, another thing that set her apart from her father, and a strange one at that, was her clothing.

Toshirou dressed simply, his clothes likely meant to do no more than keep him comfortable and clothed; not one article of his attire, while not necessarily distasteful, could be labeled as looking... "nice." Given what he had said about their lack of money, it was understandable.

Isano, on the other hand, wore a navy-blue, sleeveless jumper that reached to her knees and zipped up in the front, similar in style to her father's shirt, with pockets near her hips. Beneath the dress, she wore a long-sleeved white shirt, a thick red stripe wrapping around the upper sleeves with a thin line of space cutting horizontally through its middle. To top it all off, a white headband sat behind her bangs, which could do nothing to conceal the apathetic expression that seemed distinctly out of place on her young face.

Sakaye narrowed her eyes ever so slightly at the child's attire. If they were so poor, why didn't Toshirou's daughter wear clothes as simple as her father's?...

"Isano," Toshirou greeted with a grin, eyes lighting up as he finally caught sight of his daughter.

The girl simply stared silently at him, flicking her gaze only briefly over their guests, from the entrance of the room.

Tazuna glanced sideways at her. "Aren't you going to hug your dad, Isano? He's been gone awhile..." He drank heavily from his bottle after making the suggestion.

The words seemed to finally spurn the dark-haired girl to move, and she quietly made her way to the table, seating herself beside her father. Without hesitation, Toshirou wrapped his daughter in a warm, one-armed hug.

"Told you I'd be back," he murmured.

Isano gave no response whatsoever, instead accepting his gesture passively until he released her, the man outwardly giving no indication that her reaction troubled him. However, Tazuna's eyebrows furrowed and he sent Toshirou a pointed look, which his son deliberately ignored.

Nariko frowned at the interaction, eying the dark-haired girl across from her strangely. After a moment, she shrugged it off and dug into her meal.

_'__Weird __girl__...'_ Nariko thought.

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– The question in the title refers to the life you have already gotten a glimpse of at Toshirou's home. As you may have noticed, Toshirou's daughter is... well, a bit cold even towards her own father. Though Toshirou seems happy enough, their home life—Toshirou's, Tazuna's, and Isano's—is obviously not perfect. It brings to mind Toshirou's comment in Chapter 12.

_Normal; he wondered if he should consider that a good thing._

– The brief moment where Sakaye questions Isano's clothing in comparison to Toshirou's was originally supposed to be done by Kairi. However, I only realized later, after rereading the chapter again, that Kairi was still unconscious in the guest room and hadn't woken up yet, so I quickly changed it to Seiichi. It didn't feel right with him though, so I replaced him with Sakaye instead.

– "_What happened to her?" Tazuna questioned, jerking his head back in the direction from whence they had come and taking another swig from the __**bottle in his palm.**_

Yes, I was thinking of the song _Don't Trust Me_, by: 3OH!3 when choosing that wording. _**Grins.**_

"_B-b-bruises, cover your arms/ Shaking in the fingers with a __**bottle in your palm**__..."_

– I had a tough time determining how to alter Team 7's plan in taking down Yuzuna. In thinking about it, I remembered that they cleverly avoided the Water clone and instead went straight to Zabuza. Thinking on that, I wondered what if Team 7 did the reverse and tricked Yuzuna by appearing to make the amateur-ish mistake of heading for the water clone instead of her. I liked the idea as it certainly switched things up a bit and am fairly pleased with how it turned out. I hope it is found to be acceptable by others.

– I skimmed over the conclusion of the Yuzuna vs. Kairi battle and the Haru conversation because it pretty much followed the same trail as the original.

– Has anyone else noticed how easily Nariko forgets things once something more interesting pops up? _**Grins.**_ One, (Chapter 4) once Hajime brought up knowing why the villagers hated her, she forgot he had been attempting to kill her, wanting to have him explain instead; Two, (Chapter 8) she forgot Seiichi had been speaking to her once Kairi entered the room and she recognized her; and Three, (Chapter 15) once Toshirou told them dinner was ready, she instantly forgot her desire to see under Kairi's mask. _**Laughs.**_ Nariko may very well have ADD.


	16. Help Not Wanted

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series

By: KioKat

**Summary****: **We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around – the kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 16: _Help Not Wanted_

(Completed: 08-10-10)

x

x

It was on the morning after their arrival that Kairi finally opened her eyes.

"Hey, she's awake!" Nariko exclaimed, grinning as she leaned over the incapacitated jounin.

The silver-haired woman blinked sluggishly, still feeling relatively tired, as she slid her gaze to the three genin suddenly crowding around her.

Toshirou grinned from the doorway. "Right on time. We were just about to have breakfast."

"For once..." Seiichi muttered in response to Toshirou's first statement, referring to the jounin's normal habit of being late.

Kairi felt a smile tug at her lips, and she heaved herself into a sitting position with a grunt. "Ah, I'd forgotten how much the Sharingan really takes out of me..." she murmured to herself.

She ignored the sharp look from Sakaye and instead tilted her head towards their client.

"You said something about breakfast?" the older kunoichi inquired lightly.

After attaining a set of crutches and having finished her own meal at the table, remarkably without anyone seeing her face, Kairi finally spoke again.

"I believe Yuzuna's still alive," she informed those at the table casually.

Seiichi choked on his last mouthful, Sakaye's eyes snapped towards her, and Nariko gaped.

"...Huh?" the blonde finally said, stunned by her teacher's sudden statement.

The jounin quirked a single eyebrow. "I'm sorry. Did I stutter?"

Seiichi, having regained his breath and dislodged the food that had caught in his throat, whipped his head towards her. "No, but... What? How can she still be alive, Sensei? You checked her pulse yourself, didn't you? And that masked kid took care of her, remember?"

The silver-haired woman sighed and crossed her arms. "I'm really not in the mood to draw this out, so let's cut to the chase, shall we?" She observed the group before her. "That boy took Yuzuna down with needles, which, while they can be used for more fatal purposes, are also used for medicinal practices such as acupuncture, as well. The needles even could, if aimed properly, place someone in a near-death state. That boy was a Hunter nin, which already gives him incredible in and out knowledge of the human body. Hunter nin are those called upon to hunt down rogue nin like Yuzuna, kill them, and dispose of the body. They dispose of the body on sight and destroy all but the head, which they will take with them if needed to prove they have indeed taken care of their target.

"That being said, he targeted one of the less muscular points on the body when taking down Yuzuna and then took her body with him. Now then," Kairi said, finally concluding her mini-lecture, "don't you find that to be a little strange?"

Sakaye's eyes widened with the realization, and Seiichi slowly fell back into his seat with shock.

"N-no way..." the male genin mumbled. "That masked kid was... working _for_ her?"

The older kunoichi nodded. "Exactly, or so I suspect."

"So... what then?" Nariko spoke up, looking intently at their teacher. "Yuzuna's going to come back?"

"If I'm correct in my suspicions, then most likely," Kairi replied.

The blonde bit her lip, the corners of her mouth quirking up at the thought. The silver-haired jounin observed the action, but said nothing of it.

"...What are we going to do now?" Seiichi questioned, eyebrows furrowed and expression tight.

Kairi merely grinned beneath her mask. "Why, I'm going to have you three train in preparation, of course."

Seiichi blinked and his eyebrows knitted together. "What? But, sensei... how is a little training going to help us against an opponent like Yuzuna? Even you managed to get taken down, and you're a jounin!" He eyed her dubiously. "So, how are we, who've only been genin for only a little more than a _month_, supposed to even be a match for her?"

The masked kunoichi tilted her head. "True, very true, but you forget who came to the rescue when Yuzuna took me captive." She smiled. "You three have greatly improved from the newbie little ninja you were when I first tested you for the title of genin. Don't cut yourself so short."

The pinket, while still a little skeptical, couldn't help but sit up a little straighter at the comment. He supposed their rescue attempt had been pretty cool...

Nariko grinned. "Alright, so when do we start?"

"Why bother?"

The blonde blinked and turned her eyes towards Isano, surprised to hear the little girl speak when she had been so silent the night before. The child didn't acknowledge the stares of the others as she picked at her food, eyebrows turned down slightly.

"Isano..." Toshirou said with a reluctant frown.

"What?" the girl questioned sullenly, looking at him. "It's true, Daddy. They're gonna die."

"_Excuse me?_" Nariko exclaimed, baring her teeth angrily. "What's _that_ supposed to mean!"

Isano narrowed her eyes. "You don't stand a chance against Gatou, or whoever that lady is if she works for him. Nobody does. He'll just have you killed and you'll die. That's it." Then, without waiting for a response, she pushed herself to her feet, turning to walk off.

"Isano, you haven't finished your breakfast!" Toshirou called after her, dark eyebrows knitted together with worry.

"I'm not hungry," she replied before slipping down the hall and into her room, shutting the door with a loud snap.

The dark-haired man's frown deepened, and he sighed heavily.

Nariko felt her face flush with fury as she glared after the girl and growled. "That little... brat! I should go down there and–!"

As she went to stalk after the girl, Kairi grabbed her jacket collar, halting her from following after their client's daughter.

"Now, now," the woman said. "If we want to be prepared, we need to begin training as soon as possible, you understand? I want to make sure you three have this exercise I have planned down."

The pigtailed girl glanced up at her teacher and then back at the hall where Isano had disappeared. After a moment, she finally crossed her arms with a scowl. "Fine..." Nariko muttered, trailing after her team as they left to begin said training. "I still think she's a brat though..."

The remaining two men watched as the four disappeared through the door, Kairi only pausing to grab her crutches.

After they had gone, Tazuna slid his gaze to his son. "Toshirou..."

The younger male abruptly stood and grabbed the bowls their guests had left behind, disregarding the warning that hid within his father's voice as he left without a word.

The elderly man only sighed and, letting the matter go, heaved himself from the table so that he might head off and continue with the construction of his bridge.

oxoxo

"So, Sensei, what exactly do you have in mind for our training?" Seiichi asked curiously.

After leaving the house, Kairi had led them away from the village and into the forest behind Toshirou's home. From there, they had walked until she had halted at a small clearing a short distance in. It was there that the male genin puzzled over what the aforementioned training involved exactly as he shifted his gaze to observe their surroundings, only to see trees, bushes, and the occasional forest animal or two. He then frowned slightly and eyed the jounin herself.

Nariko craned her head back to squint her eyes at the leafy boughs in search of their tops, and Sakaye simply watched the older kunoichi silently, waiting for her to explain.

The woman smiled. "Tree climbing."

The three stared at her.

Nariko spoke first, face twisting with disbelief. "What? Are you serious?" She pouted with disappointment, crossing her arms before her. "I know how to do _that_..."

"Not this kind," Kairi went on to elaborate. "You see, this exercise involves climbing trees _without_ the use of your hands."

Seiichi furrowed his eyebrows at the woman's explanation as he attempted to determine how such a feat would be accomplished.

An image of himself, with his hands tied behind his back and his legs wrapped around the trunk as he strained to shimmy his way up, appeared in his mind's eye. The oh-so-cheerful Kairi encouraging him from the background of the mental picture did little to make the exercise seem any less difficult, and the pink-haired boy swallowed, glancing nervously up at the fairly large trees before them. It also didn't help that Kairi suddenly looked unusually amused as she observed him, seemingly in response to his thoughts.

He frowned at that, it reminding him too much of his initial meeting with the woman, and he suppressed the urge to demand the jounin stop reading his mind.

The silver-haired kunoichi grinned slightly beneath her mask and slid her gaze over the three before her. "Don't worry. It's not as difficult as it sounds," she reassured them, hobbling her way over to a tree on her left. She paused for a brief moment to gather chakra into her feet before stepping up to the trunk before her. "Unless you have absolutely terrible chakra control, of course."

The three watched with amazement as the woman scaled the wooden giant with unbelievable ease, walking along with her crutches as if she were still perpendicular to the ground and not parallel to it.

After making her way about twenty or thirty feet up the trunk, Kairi halted and eyed the underside of the branch beside her, as if contemplating whether to go ahead and awe them in that aspect as well. However, taking into account the pull of gravity, which was already tugging at her, and how drained she still was from her battle with Yuzuna, the jounin instead turned around and peered down at her gaping students, rather pleased to see that even Sakaye's mouth had fallen open slightly and that her eyes had grown wide.

"How did...? You..." Seiichi began, mouth finally closing and eyebrows furrowing as the jounin limped back down the tree. "...mentioned something about chakra control?"

"Good ears," Kairi grunted as she stepped gingerly off the trunk and on to the ground. "Yes, I did in fact mention chakra control." She lifted her head to glance over the three puzzled genin before her. "Like I said, it's really not as difficult as it sounds. In fact, it's actually quite simple.

"You see, this exercise is designed to perfect your chakra control. I'm sure they taught you about that in the Academy, so I certainly hope no one needs it explained..." The silver-haired kunoichi eyed her orange-clad pupil as she said this.

The blonde blushed slightly, but instantly grinned and straightened. "Uh, yeah! Sure, of course!" She waved a hand dismissively. "Psh! Who doesn't know what that is? I mean, come on, that'd be... er... bad..."

Nariko's pink-haired teammate groaned and clapped a hand to his forehead, neither him nor the other two buying into her claim.

"Really, Nariko?" he moaned. "Are you serious?"

". . ."

Seiichi sighed and, with an annoyed glare, quickly spouted off the information the girl was so completely deprived of.

"Chakra is the energy required of a shinobi in order to use jutsu," he recited quickly and agitatedly, the explanation appearing within his mind. "To be created, one must combine both mental and physical energy. The amount of chakra one contains within them depends on how much of each of these energies one holds. Therefore, the more one trains in his or her mental and physical capacities, the more chakra one will have to create and use jutsu—in theory, at least.

"Chakra control is the ability to combine those mental and physical energies and mold them into the energy required to begin a jutsu. If one can perfect that, then his or her chakra will never be wasted and will always be put to good use, so that he or she may be better able to complete jutsu than they would with less than perfect control," Seiichi finished with a scowl.

"You know," Kairi said lightly, her visible dark orb shining with amusement, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd read that word for word from the Academy text book..."

The boy's eyes widened and he sputtered for a moment. "Well– I just– I said I was good at memorizing things!" the male genin protested, faintly embarrassed.

The jounin simply grinned. "All the same, that's absolutely correct. That being said, chakra control is what allowed me to 'stick' to the tree, in a sense. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to make it up there at all."

"So, how do we do it?" Sakaye questioned for the first time that day, gaze locked intently on their sensei.

Kairi glanced at the dark-haired girl for a brief moment. Then, the older kunoichi gently tapped one of her own feet with a crutch. "Easy. You gather your chakra into your feet and then make your way up. As I just said, the chakra will allow you to stick to the trunk so you can climb like I did."

The woman slid a kunai from her weapons' pouch and swung it on her finger before them. "You three will use kunai to mark how far you reach up the tree with each attempt. I want you to try and get higher than your last mark each time until you reach as high as you can and have successfully gained control over your chakra." She slipped the weapon back into her pouch and went to move out of their way. "However, I'd be careful about the amount of chakra I focus into my feet if I were you. You might not be too happy with the results."

Kairi then settled herself at the base of a tree nearby, so that she might rest her weary body and observe them as well. "A running start would also be best!" she called.

With a nod, the three drew their kunai and picked a tree, before closing their eyes and silently gathering their chakra into their feet.

Seiichi inhaled deeply, feeling the rush of energy to his soles, and then, once the necessary chakra had been collected, he snapped his eyes open and charged his chosen wooden target. His foot stuck fast to the bark, as hoped, and step by step, Seiichi raced his way up the tree.

The pink-haired boy only vaguely registered the crunch of wood as Sakaye forced too much chakra and a loud thud followed by Nariko's wails of pain as she completely slipped from her trunk. Seiichi instead focused intently on the almost-mesmerizing tap of his feet as they hit the bark, and on keeping the proper and consistent flow of chakra necessary for him to stick to the wood.

_'This isn't so hard,' _the pinket thought with an elated grin, pumping his legs.

Unfortunately, after a few moments, gravity began to slow him down, and finally, after finding a good branch to use for a stopping point, Seiichi hopped from the trunk and settled himself on the limb with an exhale of breath.

"Well, well, well, it would seem we have an expert here."

The male genin grinned broadly down at the silver-haired jounin.

"Piece of cake!" he called.

"Whoa!" Nariko cried excitedly, hopping up from her place on the ground to fist her hands before her. "That's so cool, Seiichi-kun! You're amazing!"

The pink-haired boy ignored his blonde admirer as he glanced at his crush for her own reaction. However, instead of the admiration and respect he had hoped to gain from her, a cold, frustrated look met his eyes. He frowned as she instantly snapped her gaze back to her own trunk, quickly gathering her chakra and charging it once more.

Seiichi's shoulders slumped as he flicked his gaze back and forth between his two female teammates, unhappy with the response he had attained.

_'__Let__'__s__s ee__... __Sakaye__-__chan__: __Annoyed__. __Nariko__: __Adoring__.'_

"Story of my life..." the male groaned softly.

Kairi observed the boy with interest. _'__Impressive__. __It __would __be __one __thing __for __him __to __have __such __incredible __chakra __control__, __but __to __have __it __and __be __male__? __Very __impressive__, __indeed__...'_

It was common knowledge and a well-known fact amongst the ninja community that women were naturally more adept at chakra control than men. The reason for it was unknown—though it was theorized that it had something to do with the structure of women's chakra coils in comparison to men, their biological makeup, or even simply the wiring of their brains—but even so, it had been proven that excellent chakra control was a trait more likely to be found in kunoichi than their male counterparts. That wasn't to say that a man couldn't have outstanding or even perfect chakra control, only that it was less common.

Therefore, to have a squad where the male member outmatched his female teammates in that aspect was quite the rarity and really rather an accomplishment for said male member.

Kairi grinned wryly beneath her mask, wondering if their little "walking textbook" was aware of that, as she continued to watch her students progress from wet-nosed little newbies to growing ninja. It was with a faintly softer smile that the silver-haired jounin pulled out her book and began reading.

_'__However __will __you __get __through __this __one__, __Inoue__-__san__?...'_

The woman chuckled quietly at the thought and continued on.

oxoxo

At a different location and an earlier time, two nin faced their own dilemma.

"God, Haru, could you be any more brutal?"

Yuzuna jerked the needles from her neck almost-carelessly, only grunting slightly at the sensation. The woman scowled behind the bandages that concealed her nose and mouth as she rubbed her throat.

"Now, now, Yuzuna-sama," the teen chided lightly, "you should be more careful. You wouldn't want to leave scars, now would you? Not after all that trouble I went to make sure I didn't mar that perfect body of yours..."

The Ex-Mist nin rolled her eyes. "You word things the strangest ways, you know that?"

The dark-haired woman could almost feel the smile of the younger concealed behind its porcelain white cover.

"Take off that awful ghoul mask already," the spiky-haired kunoichi growled, with a narrow of her eyes. "You know I hate looking at that thing..."

"My apologies," her charge responded, immediately lifting a hand to obey the command given.

Yuzuna slid her gaze towards the younger, observing the nin silently for a long moment. The kid was nothing special at first glance: short dark hair reaching to the nape of the neck with longer bangs up front; pale skin; and a slim build concealed by a long-sleeved, high collar shirt, a baggy, dark vest tucked into a long scarf wrapped around the thin waist, and equally-baggy, striped high-waters. Other than the thick-soled sandals and bandages around the shins, the child wasn't especially note-worthy.

But Yuzuna knew the real secret hidden beneath the thick layer of clothes and cropped hair, knew it very well as she slid her gaze up to the revealed face with its bright eyes, long eyelashes hidden behind the bangs, and lips that were perhaps just a little too full for the gender normally assumed.

Haru winced slightly, placing a hand gently against the heavily-clothed chest.

The older woman scowled again. "Let me guess: bandages too tight?"

The dark-haired teen nodded. "Just a bit, Yuzuna-sama. I wanted to be a little more careful since there was the possibility I would have to step in as I did."

"Go ahead and fix it then," Yuzuna huffed. "I don't want you collapsing on the way to Gatou's because you can't breathe."

"…Outside?"

"Yes. Problem?"

"Well," the smaller nin went on to explain, "I wouldn't want anyone to see, now would I? It would ruin the charade a bit, don't you think?"

Yuzuna sighed and heaved herself to her feet, her subordinate promptly rising with her.

"I will never understand why you feel the need to disguise yourself as a boy," the woman grunted, hefting her sword up onto her shoulder and frowning at the weight.

Haru only smiled again and followed after her master so that they might greet the soon-to-be angry Gatou.

oxoxo

The tap of running feet echoed throughout the clearing, the consistency of the sound broken only by the slice of a kunai through the bark and a soft thud as one of the three students landed on the ground and examined their handiwork.

Sakaye gritted her teeth in frustration, her grip tightening on her kunai as she compared her progress to Seiichi's first attempt. She was slowly catching up, yes, but not by near as much as she would have liked. The observation spoke volumes more to her than it did anyone else, and she certainly didn't like what it told her. The girl hunched her shoulders, jaw clenching, as she glared darkly up at the tree, before tensing for another run.

"Hey, Sakaye-chan."

The Uchiha halted and glanced at her pink-haired teammate impatiently, silently waiting for him to speak.

Seiichi hesitated for but a second, before inhaling deeply and shifting towards her. "Uh, I was just wondering... you know, if you'd like some help." He smiled anxiously at her. "I mean, I think I've got this down, so if you want, I could... give you some pointers."

The dark-haired genin's entire body went stiff at the suggestion.

...What? _What _had he just said? Had he really just offered...? Did he really think...? Who... _Who_ did he think she was? Some helpless little girl? She was an Uchiha, damn it!

However, she paused briefly and glanced up at the tree, dark eyes flickering uncertainly as she compared their progress once more.

Did she really seem that... that _weak?_

_Trembly __limbs__. __A __child__'__s __sob__. __Intimidating__, __intimidating__, _never _pleased__… _

_Red lips pulled tight, and dark eyes turned darker still. _

"_**Pathetic**__**.**__"_

Sakaye felt a sudden, indignant fury swell inside her, and she glared venomously at the male genin, a part of her relishing in the surprised look and backward step he took in response. To imply such a thing... He didn't deserve any less.

"I can handle it myself," she bit out, expression dark with rage.

"Ah, right! Of course!" the pinket replied, hands held up in a placating gesture, with a nervous laugh. "What was I thinking? Uh, I'll just... let you get back to that then."

He spared her one last reluctant glance and an uneasy smile before returning to his own tree and letting her be. However, he couldn't help but wonder exactly what he had done wrong.

Sakaye immediately shifted her gaze back to her own leafy giant. She narrowed her eyes, focused her chakra, and charged the tree again.

She was _not_ weak; she did not need his help. The pale girl insisted the same thing when she managed only a step or two past her last mark, and she insisted it again when Nariko went to question Seiichi about those tips he had attempted to offer the Uchiha earlier.

Said Uchiha quietly scoffed at the interaction, dashing at the trunk for yet another time that day.

She was not weak, she didn't need any help, and she most certainly could improve just fine on her own.

oxoxo

Nevertheless, Sakaye began to have second thoughts later that afternoon when she realized that not only was Nariko progressing much more rapidly than before, but the whiskered girl was actually _catching up_ to her.

The dark-haired genin frowned and furrowed her eyebrows, eying her rival uncertainly. She compared their trees with a displeased purse of her lips, not liking what she found or the doubts swelling within her. Then, she carefully eyed the blonde, attempting to discern the secret to her improvement, but simply became frustrated yet again that day when she could determine no difference in her teammate's routine.

Sakaye turned away again with a soft swallow.

Whatever Seiichi had said had certainly helped. It had done wonders for Nariko, after all. Seiichi was already gone by that point—he had left with Kairi earlier when the exercise had caused him to drain his smaller chakra store—so there was no way she could have seen if the offer for advice was still open.

Not that she could have brought herself to ask anyway after their previous interaction. Her fists tightened by her sides at the thought. However, there was one other person she could go to...

The Uchiha's jaw instantly clenched in response as her mind vehemently rebelled against and fiercely rejected the idea, seemingly appalled by the very suggestion. This was the girl who had taken the bottom rank of their class, the dead last ditz and trouble-making prankster! To think that she would have fallen to... such a low...

Yet, Sakaye couldn't deny that, given the blonde's rapid improvement and Seiichi's absence, the move made a great deal of sense. To dismiss it completely would have been silly, impractical, and... really rather childish, she hated to admit. That in itself was enough of an insult for her to steel her resolve.

Sakaye glanced about the clearing to again confirm no one was around to hear. On confirming that there was, in fact, no one within earshot but the loudmouth prankster herself, the Uchiha inhaled and, once Nariko had both feet planted on the ground once more, spoke up.

"Hey... Nariko!" Sakaye called with a frown.

The orange-clad girl blinked at the call of her name and she turned her head to determine the source of the sound. She scowled on realizing that it was her dark-haired rival that had done so.

"What do _you_ want?" Nariko growled with a dark glare, arms crossed before her.

Oh, she had seen perfectly well how the Uchiha had treated their male teammate earlier. All Seiichi had done was kindly offer some help to the dark-haired genin, and what had that stupid brat done? She had completely snapped at him for no reason whatsoever! Just thinking about it made the short genin's blood boil, and she ground her teeth together. What had poor Seiichi done to deserve that?All he ever did was try to be nice to her and that stupid Uchiha repaid him with glares, sharp words, and cold shoulders.

_'I mean, really!' _Nariko fumed. _'Would it kill her to be a little grateful? I would love to have Seiichi-kun treat me like that, and she just acts like it's an– an insult or something stupid like __that! What the hell?' _The girl snorted to herself. _'I bet she wouldn't know how to accept a little help even if it–'_

"Wh-what did Seiichi... say... to you?"

The blonde gaped at her dark-haired rival, eyes bugging out of her head with shock. Said rival, whose cheeks were already pink with embarrassment, forced herself to look anywhere but at her orange-clad teammate as she cursed her pale complexion for showing color so easily.

For a long moment, they stood like that, Nariko with her mouth open and eyes wide, and Sakaye feeling increasingly more embarrassed and awkward.

Then, the blonde couldn't help it; she laughed.

"Oh my god, are you _blushing?_" Nariko guffawed, clutching her middle as she gasped for breath between fits of hysterical giggles.

The girl really couldn't be blamed for her reaction. It was Uchiha Sakaye she was referring to, after all, Konoha's very own little "Ice Queen," who Nariko had never really seen as anything but annoyed, let alone flustered or embarrassed. To see the normally stoic Uchiha, the former top of their class, so obviously uncomfortable with her cheeks flushed, while asking the orange-clad genin, former worst-ranked student in their grade, about something she had so readily rejected earlier? It was no wonder the blonde was laughing so hard. The irony alone was amusing enough in itself.

The aforementioned Uchiha, much to her annoyance and chagrin, felt her face immediately go aflame, and she was furiously certain that the so-called blush her teammate had mentioned had moved from a light dusting across her nose and cheeks to an awful red that consumed her entire face and showed far too well.

Sakaye instantly whipped her head away, too humiliated and angry by her rival's reaction to bother even considering attaining an actual answer to her question. She instead, almost-viciously, forced her chakra into her feet and sprinted towards the tree before her. Near-instantaneously, she spring-boarded off the bark, her foot cracking through about the very instant it met wood.

The dark-haired girl landed in a crouch, repressing the urge to growl loudly in frustration, not wanting to give her still chortling teammate another reason to laugh any harder than she already was.

_'__Never __again__,'_ Sakaye swore fiercely, with another gather of chakra and savage charge. _'__That__'__s __the __last __time __I __ask __that __stupid__, __dead__-__last __ditz __for __anything__!'_

Nariko simply continued laughing.

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– Title, of course, refers to Sakaye's refusal for help and desire not to have it, but can also refer to Isano's attitude towards the squad.

– There is a reason Haru disguises herself as a boy, but it won't be revealed until a later chapter. However, I will say that her reasoning for doing so involves someone close to her. As you may have noticed, I have purposely kept Haru's gender ambiguous up until this point. I hoped to make it a bit of a surprise that she would disguise herself in such a manner. You would think a female Haku would look even more like a girl, wouldn't you? However, as I said, Haru has her reasons for masquerading as a boy.

– Sakaye could possibly be considered as somewhat of a feminist. She despises anyone to think her weak because of her gender and works hard to prove that she is just as capable and powerful as any male shinobi. This partly explains her fierce reaction towards Seiichi's offer of help, though not completely.

– Kairi's "reading of Seiichi's mind" will probably remain a bit of a running gag. **_Grins. _**It was a bit fun to bring it up again.

– I really struggled over whether I should keep the tree exercise or not, or how I could alter it and so on and so on. However, the exercise somehow seemed necessary to me, and so, I kept it. I did try to change it up a bit so that it still felt somewhat original, though. I like it, at least.

– Inoue-san refers to Kakashi's Japanese voice actor, Kazuhiko Inoue.

– All three members of Sakaye's family have finally been referenced to, though no names have been mentioned and they've only been glimpses. However, with each glimpse, you have gotten a good look at the relationship Sakaye shared with each member.

– Toshirou's hair awakened Sakaye's memory of her father's own, the thick tension between the jounin brought Sakaye to recall the thick syrup on the dango her sister loved so much, and Seiichi's offer of help, which Sakaye interpreted as a question of her abilities and an implication of weakness, reminded her of her mother's perception of her.


	17. Kazue

Gender Bender Naruto: The Series

By: KioKat

**Summary****: **We all know Naruto, the #1 knucklehead, loudmouth ninja, right? Well, what if He had been a She? What if the whole Naruto world had been flipped around – the kunoichi now shinobi and vice versa? Join us on the adventure of a lifetime with Uzumaki Nariko, Konoha's #1, knuckleheaded kunoichi!

xox

Chapter 17: _Kazue_

(Completed: 11-14-10)

x

x

"So, how long are you nin hanging around?" Tazuna questioned as they sat around the dinner table that evening.

"Does it really matter?" Toshirou replied with a sigh. "They know the truth, so it's not as if we need to run them off for fear they'll find out..." The man grimaced slightly at the very idea, having been very unhappy with the plan when they had first thought it up, and thus, quite relieved that they no longer had a reason to put it into action.

"Just curious," the elderly man shrugged. "I actually wouldn't mind a few extra hands at the bridge..." He eyed Seiichi as he said this, earning only a narrow-eyed glance from Sakaye as Nariko was too engrossed in consuming her meal to notice.

"I didn't pay them for that," Toshirou cut in, eyebrows drawn down firmly. "Don't use them. Besides, I'm sure they're much too busy training to work with you anyway."

"Actually," Kairi piped up, "that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I actually know of a certain young shinobi here who could use a little something to do." She slid her gaze to Seiichi and smiled slightly beneath her mask.

Tazuna grinned at his son in response. "See? Perfectly alright."

Toshirou frowned, not nearly as pleased and fairly uncertain by the idea. "Are you sure?" the man questioned the jounin. "I mean, there's really no need..."

"Don't worry; it won't cost extra," Kairi reassured him, sensing his underlying concern. "Like I said, it would certainly give Seiichi something to do. I'd rather him helping your father than sitting around here or watching his teammates train."

"Excellent!" Tazuna said before his son could protest again, earning him a glare from said son. "We'll start tomorrow!"

The pinket gawked. "Wait, what? Don't I get a say–?"

"Nope!" his silver haired jounin interrupted cheerfully.

Thus, how Seiichi came to be sweating profusely and panting for breath as he leaned heavily against the wooden railing of the partially-built bridge, needing to take a break from helping to lug lumber and pound nails.

_'__None __of __our __D__-__rank __were _anything _like __this__,' _the pink-haired genin thought helplessly, slumping against his current means of support almost bonelessly.

And they weren't even halfway through the day yet...

"Not bad for a kid your age," Tazuna said as he came up beside him, clapping the boy's shoulder and nearly sending his newest worker toppling to the ground.

Seiichi winced as his muscles protested the older man's action. "Uh, thanks... I guess..."

"Mm-hm, no problem," the bridge builder replied, wiping his face with the towel around his neck. Once he had finished, the elder leaned back against the railing as well to look over his half-formed bridge. "So, why aren't you training with the other two? You finish early or something?"

"Yeah, actually," the pink-haired boy grinned, perking up slightly at the man's inquiry. "Sensei had us do this special exercise, and I got it first try."

Tazuna raised his bushy eyebrows and flicked his gaze back towards the genin. "Really? Huh, not bad... Was it hard?"

Seiichi shifted against the rail, chest swelling with pride. "Well, for me it wasn't," he answered honestly, "but Sensei says Nariko and Sakaye-chan are probably going to be at it for a few more days before they get it down."

A faintly sly smile slid across the older man's face. "Sakaye-_chan_, huh? That's the dark-haired one, right? The one with the annoyed look on her face?"

The red-clad genin blinked. "What? Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, that's... Sakaye-chan." He flushed at the man's emphasis on the suffix, fairly certain of what the man thought was implied with it.

"Huh," Tazuna nodded with a grin. "Nice choice; she's pretty."

"Er... yeah... thanks..." Seiichi mumbled, hunching his shoulders slightly and feeling a bit uncomfortable.

The elderly man seemed not to notice as the corners of his lips quirked up, and he chuckled as he remembered his own days as a boy. Oh, how that brought him back...

"Tazuna."

The bridge builder returned from his reverie to frown at the man before him. "Giichi? What is it?"

The worker remained silent for a long moment, and Tazuna narrowed his eyes.

"Well, spit it out then," Tazuna grumbled. "You can't have come to just stare at the ground."

Giichi's lips pressed together. "I want out, Tazuna."

Seiichi's eyes widened, and he snapped his olive orbs to the elderly man by his side, the bridge builder having grown quiet, his expression suddenly dark and unhappy.

"Oh," Toshirou's father replied coldly. "I see." He then shut his eyes and shrugged. "Well, go on then. I don't need cowards on my bridge."

The other man gritted his teeth. "It's become too dangerous, Tazuna! If we keep this up, Gatou will have us all killed!" His expression softened slightly. "Think of your family—your son, your granddaughter..."

Tazuna said nothing, and after a long moment, Giichi sighed.

"...I don't know about you," the worker finally spoke again, "but I actually _care_ if I die."

And without waiting for a response, Giichi left.

The pink-haired genin stared after him with a frown.

"...Tazuna-san," Seiichi said softly. "Why is it so important that you complete this bridge?"

The elderly man glanced at him and, after a moment, sighed. "Our land has never been very rich, but it once was more prosperous than this. We gained our money through trade, but when Gatou came, he took over all that and completely limited us, made us powerless so we could reach no one. Because of that, our people have become miserable and hopeless." He turned back to the bridge stretched part way across the water. "Once this bridge is built, it won't matter that Gatou controls the sea. This bridge is our hope... We need it."

Seiichi stared mutely past the piles of lumber, past the unfinished overhang of the partly-constructed platform, on across the waves to the dark mass of land beyond. For a minute or so, the two simply looked on at the construction, the vital key to the Land of Wave's freedom, and in that silence, they understood.

No matter what, the bridge had to be finished. Nothing could stand in the way of that.

oxoxo

More honestly, though, someone could. However, he refused to dirty his hands himself and his current employed assassin was under bed rest, much to the man's displeasure.

Gatou clenched his jaw angrily as he paced in his office, ignoring the two samurai that, so far, had done him no good. The businessman cradled his wrist, the one that damned brat of Yuzuna's had nearly broken.

The thought made a vein at his temple throb and his pacing became more furious in nature. Damn that nin, damn Yuzuna, and damn shinobi in general! They were nothing but trouble—or had been for him. Damn that son of Tazuna's for hiring those god-damned bodyguards of his. Whoever the hell they had been, they had put the so-called "Demon of the Mist," his hired help, out of commission! At this rate, he would never get anything done. It was only dumb luck that Tazuna was losing men by the day and that that had greatly delayed him in his work on the bridge. Without that circumstance in Gatou's favor, who knew how close Tazuna would be to finishing by that point.

The short businessman narrowed his eyes, nostrils flaring. He couldn't allow that to happen. That bridge would mean his end if it were to be completed, and he was getting a little... attached to the water-bound country.

Gatou smirked at the thought and snickered softly. He would soon show them what it meant to tempt fate and defy Gatou a second time. Funny; he thought he had given a perfectly good demonstration of that a year ago, but the lesson appeared not to have stuck.

With a dark grin, the man finally seated himself in his chair.

Maybe he would try that public execution again.

oxoxo

In a brightly lit, unbearably sunny bedroom, Isano wept.

The girl's breath hitched as she clutched the photo in her hands tightly to her chest.

"Mama..." she whimpered, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.

"_You are _so_ brave…"_ came the soft whispers of a far off memory._ "I will always be here for you."_

The girl sobbed and curled into herself as she lay on her bed. Hunching her shoulders, she turned her face into the blanket.

"_I __will _always _be __here __for __you__..."_

"Liar," the child whispered, voice tinged with heartbreak and betrayal, and she cried harder, the sound smothered by cool, white cloth, in a too-sunny bedroom that mocked her with its light.

Outside, in the hollow, empty corridor, a figure stood, silently listening to the horrid sound of choked and muffled tears. Gently, he placed his forehead against the wall, eyes tightly shut against the pain of hearing the child's wounded cries.

After one, long moment, he quietly walked away.

oxoxo

"Er, Seiichi-kun, are you okay?" Nariko inquired over dinner, blinking at her pink-haired teammate.

The boy, who lay slumped across the table, suppressed a groan, feeling his muscles twitch with the exertion of the day. _'That's the last time I let Sensei sign me up for _anything_...' _the boy silently swore, painfully pushing himself in to a sitting position.

"Yeah, fine," he said through a grimace, meant to be a smile, and tightly gritted teeth.

Tazuna grinned and chuckled at the boy's discomfort, though a strange fatigue seemed to lurk within his eyes.

Toshirou hated seeing his father tired.

The dark-haired man observed Tazuna with a frown, taking note of the elder's slumped shoulders, his weary eyes, the wrinkles of his leathery skin that seemed to grow deeper and deeper each day, and his spiky hair, which the younger man swore had not been so gray a year ago.

Toshirou's fingers tightened on his chopsticks and his lips pursed. It upset him to see his father so completely exhausted or to view the helplessness he sometimes saw reflected in the elder's dark eyes when he thought no one could see. Toshirou knew his father kept it hidden from his men—he was losing enough even with that seemingly-absolute and stubborn belief in the bridge he held and spoke of so often—for it was only the strength of their leader that kept those workers who had yet to leave from following in their former co-workers' footsteps. Toshirou was well-aware that should they ever see such hopelessness reflected in Tazuna's eyes that they would likely drop their tools where they stood and walk away without another word.

That said, Toshirou had a good idea of _why _his father seemed especially tired that night.

"You lost another one, didn't you," the bridge builder's son said quietly, the inquiry more a statement than a question.

Nariko blinked in confusion and Sakaye paused in her meal, but Seiichi, recalling the scene of earlier, suddenly sobered and lowered his gaze, understanding what the dark-haired man meant.

Tazuna simply removed his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, sighing aloud. "Giichi left today."

"Why?" Toshirou questioned, expression unreadable as he stared down at the chopsticks in his hand.

The elderly man quietly observed his son for a moment, well-aware that he knew the reason. However, the elder went on to answer anyway.

"Same as the rest," Tazuna replied. "They're afraid of Gatou."

A pregnant pause consumed the table.

Toshirou then turned to Kairi, eyebrows furrowed. "If... or when that woman, Yuzuna, comes back..." he said slowly, eying her carefully. "Who will she come after? Me or my father?"

The masked kunoichi sighed through her nose. "Well, Gatou had originally intended to go after you because you were an easier target than your father, you being on the road alone—or so he'd hoped—and a little more accessible. However, now that you and your father are on equal standing, being here in the village, Gatou will likely forgo you completely and send Yuzuna to assassinate your father."

Lips pressed tightly together, Toshirou glanced at his father, before silently turning his gaze to the table before him.

Tazuna released a heavy breath. "Well, then, I suppose I have that to look forward to, now don't I?" he laughed, though the sound seemed strained and forced.

Toshirou suddenly lifted himself up, palms braced upon the table and shoulders hunched, as his head dipped just enough for his bangs to shadow his eyes.

"Dad..." he began in a low, solemn voice. Pausing momentarily, the man seemed to struggle for a moment, but his shoulders hunched further and his jaw clenched with determination.

"I ask as your only son that you discontinue your work on the bridge," he finished quickly but firmly, though he refused to meet his father's gaze.

Chopsticks clattering to the table, the elderly man whipped his head towards his son, expression warped with anger and disbelief. He, too, braced his palms on the table and glared at his son.

"How– how could you ask such a thing?" the bridge builder growled, aghast that his son would even think to suggest he do what so many of his men had already done. "You know how important this bridge is to the Land of Waves, to our people!"

"There are other, capable people–" Toshirou argued.

"_**Who?**_**"** Tazuna roared, furious. "Who do you suggest is gonna step up if I back out? The only reason those men have stayed was because I took a stand!"

"You could die!" his son protested, expression tight. "Gatou won't stop until he's sure that bridge will remain unfinished. Already he has shinobi after you!"

"I knew the risks when I took on this job," the elderly man replied, eyes narrowed. "This bridge means everything to this country, Toshirou. With it, people have begun to hope again. You want me to let Gatou steal that away a second time?"

The dark-haired male went tense.

"Don't you dare bring that up," Toshirou warned.

Tazuna ground his teeth in frustration. "It's been a _year_, Toshirou. Do you really think Kazue would have wanted this?"

"_Dad!_"

Isano released a sudden, unexpected sob, and the surprised Squad 7 watched as she shoved herself from the table and took off down the hall.

Face darkening with a fury that seemed very uncharacteristic of him, Toshirou glared at his father, teeth tightly clenched together. "_**Dad...**_ You _know_ better than to mention her around Isano."

"And you," Tazuna retorted angrily. "That's unspoken, right?"

Toshirou's jaw tightened as he glowered at his father, growing silent.

The bridge builder seemed unfazed, meeting it with his own stern, unyielding stare. "It's a truth you have to face, Toshirou. Do you really think Kazue would have wanted any of this? No, I don't just mean the state of this land, though she would have been devastated to see that as well, but do you really think she would have wanted to see either of you like this? Don't give me that look," the elderly man snapped at his son's dark gaze. "Don't you think I miss her, too? Do you think it didn't hurt me to lose her? Do you think I _enjoy_ seeing my son and granddaughter suffering?..."

The table grew quiet once more.

"Who's Kazue?" Kairi inquired after a minute or so, her single, visible eye observing the two men carefully.

"...my wife," Toshirou responded, finally relinquishing the angry glare directed towards his father to return his gaze to the table again. "She died last year."

Nariko blinked and furrowed her eyebrows at the older man. "What? But I thought you said... when Isano was a baby..."

"That was my first wife," he explained quietly. "Isano's mother."

Tazuna glanced sharply at him. "Kazue was just as much Isano's–"

"I didn't say she wasn't, Dad," Toshirou interrupted, his dark eyes suddenly pained, and he shut them, inhaling deeply.

Sensing the questions that still lurked within the nin's eyes and those of her students', Tazuna sighed. "It started a few years ago, when Isano first met her..."

oxoxo

The picture stared at her from its place on the bed, the very bed she had sobbed in earlier that day, in the very bedroom that had so recently mocked her.

Isano hiccuped, the image blurring, as her lips trembled. She stumbled forward and grabbed the frame, gripping it tightly in her small fingers. With a shaky hand, she traced the glass, digits trailing along the figure of her father, her grandfather, her grinning, happy self, before finally halting on the one she clutched to so fiercely, the woman with that brave, bright smile, who had held her so close and promised to stay...

With a fierce sob, the dark-haired child flung the picture from her, back on to the bed, her small form shaking with the storm of emotions she had been trying so hard to block and shy away from. For a long, tense minute or so, she glared at the image, breathing ragged.

Suddenly, the enraged scowl morphed into a miserable grimace as she fell on to the soft comforter and wept.

"I almost forgot. I almost _forgot_," she cried unhappily, face buried in the bed.

Against her will, the memories she had desperately worked to force from her mind rose again once more.

oxoxo

"_Chicken!"_

"_Baby!"_

"_Scaredy cat!"_

_The tiny, dark-haired child sobbed at the jeering laughter and cries of the other children as she clung even more tightly to the wooden post, cheeks wet with tears. She turned her face away, burying it in the pole, in a desperate attempt to ignore them and block out their taunts._

_However, the sudden hand grabbing hold of her dress wouldn't allow it, as the smirking boy it belonged to tugged with what seemed to be a cruel earnest to her, so as to force the girl into the water with him and the other children. _

_The young Isano cried out, kicking helplessly at the older boy and struggling to escape. Her small limbs squeezed the post even more firmly as she continued to weep, the frightening dark waters churning below her in a menacing manner, causing her to cry harder and work more desperately to escape his hold._

"_Hey now, stop that!"_

_The boy blinked in surprise at the sudden shout and turned to look at its source, fingers loosening in response._

_Feeling the lax in his grip, Isano jerked away from him, quickly clutching the pole once more and sliding down to wrap her legs around it as well, so that she might avoid the previous incident. Eyes shut tight, she pressed her face against the wood once more, trembling slightly._

_With relief more than confusion, she heard the figure speak again_—_a woman, it sounded like_—_lightly scolding the boy for his actions and the children for their words._

"_That's unnecessary, don't you think?" came the voice. "If she doesn't want to swim, she doesn't have to. There's no need to grab at her like that, you hear?"_

_Isano listened, without opening her eyes, as the woman sent the children off, the splashing of the water indicating what she assumed was their reluctant departure, if the fading grumbles meant anything. _

_With ragged, quiet breaths, the dark-haired child continued to crouch upon the dock, pressed as closely to the post as she could manage. She inhaled sharply and tensed as she heard and felt the tap of sandals on wood that meant some figure, whether it be the woman or a child who had lingered behind, drawing closer and closer to her. On sensing their presence behind her, Isano dug her fingers into the short pole_—_so deeply, in fact, that she felt the threat of splinters pressing into the vulnerable skin beneath her nails. Her body shivered with fear at the thought that it might be the boy of earlier, and every muscle went taut at the light touch on her shoulder._

"_Hey, it's okay," the earlier voice said soothingly. "They're gone now. No one's going to hurt you..."_

_Isano clutched the post, silent and still. Then, slowly, she shifted her head to peer at the woman with one eye, the other side of her face still pressed firmly against the wood._

_A young woman, her dark hair pulled into a high ponytail, grinned at her, the two strands before her ears dangling by her chin. A light-colored sash bound itself about her head, the ends knotted together over her right temple, and two wide bandages adorned each cheek, a smaller, thinner one taped across the bridge of her nose._

_The child stared quietly at her friendly, albeit strange, face and broad smile, blinking once._

_This made the woman laugh, and Isano blinked once more, pulling herself away from the pole to observe her curiously. The woman did so again, and unable to help herself, the child giggled too._

_The woman smiled again. "Ah, there we are. There's no more need for those tears, is there?"_

_Isano grinned slightly and shook her head, finally removing herself fully from the post and rubbing at her eyes. However, she shivered suddenly as a wind blew by, clutching her arms and reminded that the other children had pushed her in to the water twice before she had found safety in clinging to one of the dock's wooden poles. Her face wrinkled unhappily, and she sniffled._

_Silently taking in the child's damp clothing and wet hair, the woman tilted her head. "You must be cold," she said gently. "I have a nice, warm meal waiting at home and I'm afraid I can't eat it all by myself. Would you like to share it with me?"_

_The dark-haired little girl paused for a moment, appearing to think it over."Daddy says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," she finally said._

_Eyebrows rising slightly, the woman smiled again, dark eyes shining faintly with amusement. "Well, you must have a very good daddy then to teach you that," came her light reply as she stood and held out her hand for the child to take._

_Isano nodded and accepted it, curling her small fingers around the woman's own. "Yeah, he's the best."_

_The woman laughed softly to herself, leading the girl down the dock with her. "Oh, really? That's incredible. You must very lucky to have the best for your dad," the woman mused with a grin."I actually had a pretty great one myself..." She then glanced down at the younger, lips quirked up at the corners. "By the way, my name's Kazue."_

_The child looked up at the forever-smiling woman, hand held lightly in the woman's own._

"_I'm Isano," she quietly replied._

oxoxo

"_So, why were you so frightened of the water?" Kazue questioned as they sat at the table in her small, but comfortable home. "It's a little cold today, yeah, but nothing really wrong with it..."_

_Isano paused in her sipping of the distinctly fishy soup and lowered her bowl, eyes dropping to the cream-colored broth. _

_Kazue watched curiously as the little girl's cheeks flushed with what appeared to be shame._

"_...I can't swim," the child whispered._

_Instead of laughing as Isano feared or gaping in shock, for it was indeed very unusual to hear of such from any person let alone child in the Land of Waves, Kazue simply nodded in understanding and said, "I thought as much." Then, before Isano could express her surprise at her reaction, the older woman looked at her, expression serious. "Would you like to learn?"_

_The dark-haired child's mouth fell open and her eyes widened, startled by the sudden proposition. However, she only hesitated briefly before nodding mutely._

_Kazue grinned. "It's settled then. We'll start tomorrow, alright?"_

_Yet again that day, Isano couldn't help the curve of her own lips as she nodded once more. "Yeah. Okay."_

oxoxo

Back in the present, the girl sobbed once more.

oxoxo

"She pretty much became family by that point," Tazuna went on, continuing to detail the story to the carefully listening nin. "My granddaughter idolized her, followed her around everywhere. They really were quite a sight..."

"She fell in love with her," Toshirou said quietly, finally speaking up. "We all did..."

oxoxo

"_Ah, so you're the oh-so famous best daddy in the world."_

_Toshirou blinked at the grinning woman in bewilderment. "What?"_

_Kazue laughed softly, and the dark-haired man narrowed his eyes, eying the woman who had escorted his daughter home suspiciously._

_She didn't look dangerous, he thought, but she dressed rather differently than the other women of the village with her knee-length black shorts and baggy, sleeveless shirt bound around the waist __with a dark sash. He furrowed his eyebrows at the bandages wrapped around her shins and arms, ending below the curve of her shoulder and leaving her hands free._

"_They cover the scars," she answered with a slight smile, having taken note of his stare._

_Toshirou jerked his head up, faintly embarrassed to have been caught looking her over. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she simply shook her head._

"_It's okay," Kazue said lightly. "I do look rather strange, don't I?"_

_Though he did not say it aloud, Toshirou completely agreed._

_However, he didn't learn the reasoning for that strangeness until several encounters later._

"_My father was a fisherman," Kazue said, walking alongside Toshirou._

_Thrilled by her progress on learning to swim, Isano had invited Kazue to dinner, and unable to deny his daughter's pleas, Toshirou had allowed it, having gotten over his own initial misgivings of the woman. After the meal had been eaten and Isano had fallen asleep after spending an hour or so eagerly chatting with the older woman, Tazuna had suggested Toshirou walk Kazue home. Despite Kazue's protests that he need not go to the trouble, Toshirou had agreed and they had left out into the dark._

"_What happened to him?" Toshirou inquired, noting Kazue's use of the past tense._

_The woman smiled faintly and shrugged. "Storm came out of nowhere while he was out at sea when I was about 14. He never saw it coming."_

"_I'm sorry," the dark-haired man quietly apologized._

_Kazue grinned at him. "Don't be. He died doing what he loved. That's enough for me." She shifted her head back forwards. "Anyway, I used to help him out on the boat. My mother died after having me, so he didn't have any sons to take over for him when he passed. Since I was available, I offered to help do it." She laughed. "He wasn't happy with the idea at first, but I insisted and he gave in."_

"_So... _you're_ a fisherman?" Toshirou frowned, attempting to wrap his mind around the idea._

_Kazue chuckled softly at his bewildered expression. "Of course. Someone had to do it after my dad died."_

"_And that's the reason for...?" the man trailed, glancing at the woman's strange attire._

_This seemed to amuse Kazue for she laughed again. "Yes, that's the reason for my clothes. They're more comfortable and easier to move it." She then grinned wryly. "Besides, you'd be surprised how difficult it is to pull in a net in a skirt."_

"_And the bandages?..."_

_The dark-haired woman's expression sobered slightly, though she continued to smile. "I told you. They cover the scars, remember?" On seeing his puzzled expression, she elaborated. "Being a fisherman can be a tough job. Hooks are sharp and some fish have spines_—_in their fins and on their bodies. Then, there's the nets. The salt toughens the rope, and they're not exactly smooth, you know? They can leave their own cuts and wounds..."_

_Toshirou observed silently as she subconsciously held one forearm, running her worn fingers along the bandages there. The smile had faded, and her eyes stared at the darkness before her oddly, as if she were not actually seeing it._

_Without realizing it, they had both halted and simply stood as they were on the dirt path, and without knowing why, Toshirou grabbed the calloused hand, impeding her from continuing the motion. _

_She blinked, startled by his action, and looked up at him. _

"_...Toshirou-san?" she whispered._

_The dark-haired man observed her wordlessly, confused by his own actions, but strangely unwilling to release her._

_When had that happened?_

"_Toshirou-san?"_

_When had it changed?_

"_Toshirou–?"_

_He still didn't know as he dipped his head down, but suddenly, he didn't care._

_Isano loved her; why couldn't he?_

"_Toshirou-san..."_

oxoxo

"A few months later, she officially became a part of the family," Tazuna went on, taking note of his son's silence and distant stare. The elderly man couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips at the next memory. "Then, she became a hero..."

oxoxo

"_Someone help! Please, help!" _

_As the mother wailed helplessly, Tazuna's eyes widened behind his glasses at the sight of the woman's distress._

_Far out in the churning sea, a tiny child desperately gripped a slippery rock, doing his best not to be swept out into the fierce, dark waters. His cries could not be heard over the howling wind of the arising storm, the one that had, presumably, brought him into his current predicament. _

_The elderly man flinched as the waves crashed furiously against the beach on which the distraught mother stood, and he pressed his granddaughter tighter to his leg, which she clutched within her fingers as she observed the scene with wide eyes, so as to make sure she did not lose herself in the crowd that had gathered. _

"_Please!" the mother pleaded once more, cheeks wet with tears. "Someone do something!"_

_However, the mutters of the crowd indicated the danger in doing so. The child was too far off and the sea too rough. Anyone who were to pursue a rescue attempt would only be swept away with the tide, never to be seen again and leaving the boy as stranded as before._

_The woman sobbed, falling to her knees and burying her face in her hands. _

_Tazuna sighed and went to turn away, but as he did so, he caught sight of Kazue, who had been standing beside him, and the expression on her face. His eyes went wide once again and he opened his mouth to speak, but she took off suddenly before he could do so, throwing herself into the turbulent waves. _

_The mother cried out in shock and the crowd went into an uproar as Kazue forced her way through the dark waters._

"_Mama!" Isano cried, black eyes round with fear. _

_The people clustered at the water's edge, alternately calling after Kazue and pleading she turn back and encouraging her as she drew nearer and nearer to the marooned little boy. The crowd held their breath with each wave that rose, throwing her out of sight, and exhaled once she came into view once more._

_Finally, she reached the rock, and having managed to have taken hold of it, she pulled the child to her, the boy clinging as tightly to her as he had the slippery stone mere moments before. The crowd cheered her on as she pushed off and struggled her way back. _

_After several close calls and minutes that seemed like years, Kazue collapsed upon the beach, returning the sobbing child to his relieved mother, amidst the elated and amazed cries of the crowd, which she greeted with no more than a tired smile._

_Barely acknowledging his granddaughter's departure, Tazuna could only stare awe-struck at the woman as she accepted Isano's desperate and delighted hug. _

oxoxo

"Kazue was proclaimed the heroine of our little village," Toshirou spoke up again, eyes shut. "We were... _happy_."

"Until Gatou came," Tazuna stated, suddenly looking weary and haggard.

Toshirou's lips pursed together, teeth clenching, and he turned away, shoulders tense.

"He took over then?" Kairi inquired quietly.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Tazuna removed his glasses and rubbed them with his fingers. "Yes... For the most part, at least."

"Most part?" the kunoichi questioned.

"We... didn't give in right away," the elderly man admitted. "Well... Kazue didn't."

Toshirou's breath suddenly released from him and his body seemed to collapse into itself as he buried his face in his hands. "Don't, Dad. Please, don't..." he begged.

"It happened, Toshirou," Tazuna said softly. "Nothing's going to change that."

"That doesn't mean we have to talk about it," his son said through gritted teeth, curling his fingers back into his hair.

"It's part of the story, Toshirou. It needs to be said... Perhaps _you_ need to hear it said."

Toshirou went silent.

"What happened to her?" Kairi asked after a long moment.

Tazuna observed his son for a moment more, before turning to them, jaw working and tears suddenly forming in his eyes.

"Gatou killed her, before everyone," the bridge builder choked. "He made us watch her die."

oxoxo

"_I will always be here for you."_

"_I will always be here for you." _

_"I will _always_ be here for you..."_

"You're a liar, Mama," Isano whispered in the night.

"_You are so _brave_..."_

The little girl sobbed. "Such a liar..."

The sound of her mother's lies rocked her to sleep.

o

o

**Fun Facts:**

– Yes, yes, I was so creative with this chapter title, but Kazue did take up a majority of this chapter, so it fits, doesn't it? I also needed to show to you exactly how important Kazue really was to them and the affect she's had on their lives. I feel this chapter explains more deeply why they, Isano especially, are the way they are today.

– I have to say that I greatly enjoyed writing the Kazue portion of this chapter. I felt like I was able to have so many liberties with it and I am pleased with how it turned out. I hope others enjoy it as much as I do.

– The romantic relationship between Toshirou and Kazue was inspired by _Naruto: Innocent Heart, Demonic Blood, _which I have mentioned before as being a written version of Naruto all the way to the Wave Arc. In it, a more romantic relationship was mentioned and implied between Tsunami and Kaiza and I liked the idea. It seemed rather fitting to me. Besides, Tsunami _did_ introduce Kaiza as her husband when Sakura questioned who was missing from the photograph in the original.

– I was going to give the Kazue story its own chapter, but I didn't like the way it would have worked out. It seemed like doing so would give the story less impact if I waited until the next chapter to tell it, so I kept it here, making this chapter about 5700 words. This chapter would have only been about 2700 without it. That's too short, in my opinion.

– As of this chapter, the average word count for my chapters are 4580. The shortest is Chapter 4 with 3635 words and the longest is Chapter 11 with 6534 words.

– I promise I thought of Kazue teaching Isano to swim _long _before that filler episode came out in Shippuden, where Inari has a flashback in a flashback of Kaiza teaching him to swim. I swear. Look at the date of when this chapter was finished. WAY before it aired.


End file.
